Lake County COVID-19 cases remain at four

Lake County had four confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning, according to the state health department’s tally.

Lake County Public Health noted that local providers had submitted 219 specimens for COVID-19 testing. Of those, 198 were negative and 17 were pending.

There were 319 confirmed cases statewide, including 27 hospitalizations and six deaths. Nearly 7,000 people had been tested.

Flathead County’s case count climbed to 31 on Tuesday, while Missoula County was at 24. Community spread of the coronavirus has officially been documented in Flathead County.

While health-care officials had expected the state’s COVID-19 outbreak to peak in late April, new studies are estimating that date is now closer to April 13. Additionally, one study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Washington has predicted the state will experience 22 fatalities — a steep drop-off from the original prediction of more than 250. The health department has recorded six fatalities to date.

In response to the virus, Lake County Public Health said it made some changes to its operations, “for both the safety of our small staff, as well as our patients.”

People with inquiries regarding immunization and family planning appointments are asked to call in advance, and patient care will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

“Our hope is to keep the level of traffic into our office as minimal as possible so are planning to provide curbside services to the best of our ability,” the health department stated.