County records first COVID death

The county recorded its first coronavirus-related death last week, according to Sanders County Public Health officials. No details were provided regarding the death, which the county announced on Saturday.

As of Tuesday, the county remained at two active cases of COVID-19. “As we are below the threshold of four active cases, face coverings are not currently required in Sanders County, but local officials strongly recommend their continued use,” the county health department announced. Many local businesses also continue to require masks.

The county has recoded 42 cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday. Of those, half have been female and half male. The largest age group for Sanders County COVID-19 cases is 60-69 with 10 cases. Cases by age group include:

0-9: 7

10-19: 5

30-39: 3

40-49: 3

50-59: 5

60-69: 10

70-79: 7

80-89: 2.

Smoke from wildfires to the west is also affecting Sanders County residents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some symptoms of COVID-19 and wildfire smoke exposure can be similar. Those include dry cough, sore throat and difficulty breathing. The CDC says that COVID-19 symptoms like fever or chills, muscle or body aches and diarrhea are not related to smoke expose.

More information about local air quality can be found at AirNow.gov. For updated details on local COVID-19 cases and restrictions, go to dphhs.mt.gov or visit the Sanders County COVID-19 page on Facebook.