Coronavirus cases increase over weekend

Coronavirus cases in Lincoln County again spiked over the weekend, most being identified through contact tracing, health officials said.

On Oct. 1, just hours before President Donald Trump announced, via Twitter, that he had tested positive for the virus, officials tallied 24 cases in Lincoln County, including three new patients that day. All three were women and two contracted the illness through an unknown source.

Cases edged up to 28 on Friday with three new patients, all women and all exposed to an unknown source of infection.

On Saturday, the total jumped by 11. Seven were close contacts with existing coronavirus patients, officials said. The remaining five all contracted the illness from an unknown source.

The cases cut across demographics: a man in his 70s, three female teenagers, a male teenager, a woman in her 70s, a woman in her 40s, a woman in her 50s, two men in their 60s and a man in his 40s.

All but two showed symptoms of COVID-19, officials said.

By Sunday, the case count had grown by one — a symptomatic man in his 30s with unknown exposure — bringing the total to 38. Three Lincoln County residents have undergone hospitalization.

One individual who contracted the virus has died in recent days, but authorities have held off on attributing the death to COVID-19. The patient suffered from other medical maladies, officials said. An investigation to determine the cause of death is underway.

The spike in cases locally came as officials with Cabinet Peaks Medical Center reminded residents to avoid coming into the emergency department for treatment of COVID-19 or coronavirus testing.

Medical center officials recommend residents contact their primary care provider if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The CARD Clinic provides testing, but only for those who are symptomatic or close contacts with known cases.

The spike in local patients comes as coronavirus cases increased in roughly two-third of the country, according to the Washington Post. States that saw large caseloads in the beginning of the pandemic, particularly the northeast, are seeing a new upswing.

In New York City, officials are planning to reinstate restrictions in neighborhoods with an increasing caseload. The proposal calls for closing schools and nonessential businesses in zip codes in Brooklyn and Queens.

In Montana, new daily cases have been reported in the hundreds in recent weeks. Yellowstone County remains the hardest hit, with 1,164 active cases. Closer to Libby, Flathead County is home to 730 active cases. In Missoula County, officials have recorded 336 active cases.