Flags lowered for those affected by COVID-19

After an order from Gov. Bullock, flags all around Montana were displayed at half-staff to honor the coronavirus victims over the weekend. Out of respect for the victims and families who have succumbed to the coronavirus pandemic, on Friday, the governor ordered all flags in Montana to be lowered to half-staff until sunset on Sunday.

"Together, we mourn every life that has been claimed by the novel Coronavirus in Montana and around the nation," Bullock said in a proclamation last Friday. "My heart and the hearts of all Montanans go out especially to the 16 Montanans whose deaths were caused by COVID-19 and to their families and friends."

The Montana COVID-19 cases remain flat as of Sunday, with 479 confirmed and reported cases, and 16 virus-related deaths in the state, according to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The state's active case count is at 22, with 3 active hospitalizations.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, states more than 1,570,000 people have been infected and more than 94,500 people have died due to COVID-19 in the United States.

A request from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, was sent to President Trump asking that he issue an order for flags to be displayed at half-staff when the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic reaches 100,000 in the United States.

On Thursday, President Trump made the announcement to lower flags to half-staff to honor coronavirus victims. "I will be lowering the flags on all federal buildings and National Monuments to half-staff over the next three days in the memory of the Americans we have lost to the coronavirus," the President said via Twitter.

In a separate proclamation, in correlation with President Trump, Gov. Bullock ordered all flags in Montana to be flown at half-staff on Monday May 25, until noon, and then to be raised to full-staff in honor of Memorial Day.

"On this day, we mourn the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms and liberties we cherish. Though we are in mourning, at noon the flag is raised to full-staff to honor the heroes still among us and symbolize that we are a living nation – resilient when faced with loss," Bullock stated in his Memorial Day Proclamation.