THE LOCAL NEWS OF THE MADISON VALLEY, RUBY VALLEY AND SURROUNDING AREAS

COVID-19

Thanks to government-funded programs, at-home Covid-19 tests are now easier to come by. The Madison County Public Health Department recently received 1,877 two-test kits from the state which are now available at the MCPHD office in Virginia City as well as the Ennis Pharmacy and Mac’s CHC Pharmacy in Sheridan. Tests are also available at https://www.covidtests.gov/.

According to MCPHD Director Emilie Sayler, the goal is to have a test kit in every county household, noting at the Feb. 1 Madison County Commissioner meeting that Omicron is spreading rapidly, albeit often with little to no symptoms and with symptoms lasting briefly. These tests, she said, are especially helpful for those that have recently had close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Sayler did ask that anyone picking up a test, that’s either symptomatic or who shares a household with someone that is, should call ahead to the health department or pharmacy to set up contactless pickup.

“It’s alarming, the number of people who will come directly into the office while they are actively sick or someone in their household is sick,” Sayler told commissioners. “We want to reduce those potential exposures.”

Reporting changes on the horizon

Following advice handed down from the state health department, MCPHD will shift to online case investigation next week.

Prior to the shift, when a county resident tests positive for Covid-19, they’ll receive a call from the health department for a data collection interview. In the new scenario, covid-positive individuals will receive a link to an online survey which will go to the county health department and ultimately to the state database.

The change, said Sayler, will dramatically reduce her already overloaded staff’s phone time, clearing more time for thorough data input, and most importantly, allowing the department to focus on contacting the county’s highrisk population.

If a person doesn’t complete the online survey, the health department will still follow up via telephone.

“It seems that this is probably our best bet in transitioning from pandemic response to covid to endemic response to covid,” said Sayler. “It’s really going to help us to work this into our new normal, daily workflow.”

The more readily available home tests and updated reporting guidelines come as the state reports a pandemic record-high number of active cases to start out February. Locally, a full quarter of Madison County covid tests are coming back positive.

Sayler stated that while the county reports low active cases (just 41 as of Feb. 2), she expects that number to climb in the coming days due to a lag in at-home positive tests getting reported along with a fax machine outage over the weekend. 

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY MAP

Covid by the numbers

According to Montana Response Covid-19 dashboard data, current as of Feb. 8 at 10:45 a.m.:

Montana

Active cases: 2/1: 18,607 2/8: 8,417

Cumulative cases: 2/1: 242,180 2/8: 253,204

Active hospitalizations: 2/2: 310 2/8: 303

Total hospitalizations: 2/1: 11,002 2/8: 11,225

 MONTANA STATE LIBRARY DATA

Covid by the numbers

According to Montana Response Covid-19 dashboard data, current as of Jan. 25 at 10:00 a.m.:

Montana

Active cases: 1/18: 13,476 1/25: 15,067

Cumulative cases: 11/18: 215,988 1/25: 229,966

Active hospitalizations: 1/18: 236 1/25: 331

New cases in 24 hours: 1/18: 3,924 1/25: 2,860

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY GRAPH

Covid in the county

With at home testing
now part of the
CDC’s guidelines,
the tests have
become more sought-after than
ever. Madison County’s Public
Health Department has handed

out around 300 of the state-fund-
ed test kits in the past month or

COVID by the numbers

Statewide, active Covid-19 cases were up 135% over last week Tuesday, while Madison County’s active cases rose 63% over the week prior. This is a jump Madison County’s Public Health Department expected, as the more easily spread Omicron variant was first detected in the county on Jan. 5.

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY GRAPH

COVID in the county

Madison County’s active Covid-19 cases have hovered in the single digits and teens for the past few weeks, but that number is on the rise. Emilie Sayler, the county’s public health director, told commissioners at their Jan. 4 meeting that she’d just received 10 new cases the day before and around 10 Tuesday morning.

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY MAP

COVID by the numbers

According to Montana Response Covid-19 dashboard data, current as of Dec. 28 at 10:30 a.m.: Montana Active cases: 12/20: 1,723 12/28: 2,056

Cumulative cases: 12/20: 194,929 12/28: 196,453

Active hospitalizations: 12/20: 126 12/28: 121

New cases in 24 hours: 12/20: 159 12/28: 408

Deaths: 12/20: 2,878 12/28: 2,904

MONTANA STATE LIBRARY MAP

COVID in the county

Montana’s COVID-19 tracking database was reporting 1,723 active cases as of Dec. 20. It’s likely the lowest we’ll be seeing that number for a while, said Madison County Public Health Director Emilie Sayler, citing a Dec.

 MONTANA STATE LIBRARY MAP

COVID by the numbers

Montana

Active cases: 12/7: 3,271 12/14: 2,601

Cumulative cases: 12/7: 193,005 12/14: 193,905

Active hospitalizations: 12/7: 184 12/14: 164

New cases in 24 hours: 12/7: 423 12/14: 196

Deaths: 12/7: 2,777 12/14: 2,830

Montanans fully immunized: 12/7: 525,292 12/14: 529,903

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The Madisonian

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