COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations declining in Montana

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The number of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations have been declining in Montana, the state health department told the governor.

COVID-19 cases in the fourth week of November declined 43% from the week prior, with 1,904 cases reported. Hospitalizations declined 16%, to an average of 250 patients per day, according to a readout of the briefing Gov. Greg Gianforte received this week.

Since Aug. 27 — the week hospitalizations jumped above 200 in this latest surge driven by the delta variant — 885 people have died of COVID-19 in Montana, officials said.

More than 56,200 Montanans became fully immunized between Aug. 27 and Nov. 26, the state reports.

Montana, which was leading the nation in new cases in early September, is now ranked 29th, according to data gathered by The Associated Press for the past 14 days.

From April 1 through Nov. 26, unvaccinated Montanans accounted for 83% of hospitalizations and 77% of deaths due to COVID-19, according to health officials.

Over that same time, the median age for unvaccinated people who were hospitalized was 62, while the median age of unvaccinated residents who died of COVID-19 was 74. That's compared to median ages of 70 for hospitalization and 82 for deaths of vaccinated people who contracted breakthrough cases.