COVID-19 cases surging in Lake County, state

While overall COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases remain relatively low in Lake County compared to some neighboring counties, the spread of the virus appears to be accelerating here and across the state.

Lake County Public Health on Friday announced the county’s second pandemic-related death, a woman in her 70s. Additional details on the death are being withheld to protect the privacy of the woman and her family.

On Monday, Lake County Sheriff Donald Bell announced in a press release that four inmates and one staff member at the Lake County Jail had tested positive for COVID-19, and that other tests were pending. Sheriff Bell stated that the four inmates had been housed together, so it’s possible they hadn’t spread the virus to other inmates.

After seeing fewer than 10 new confirmed daily cases through all of August and most of September, the county saw an average of nearly 20 new daily cases Wednesday through Monday.

The county’s first pandemic-related death came in late July. In that case the deceased was a man in his 70s who died in a Flathead County hospital. At the time of his death the county had 131 confirmed cases. On Tuesday Lake County Public Health announced a total of 508 confirmed cases.

By comparison, state officials on Tuesday reported 2,658 total cases in Flathead County, with 1,308 active and 23 deaths. They also reported 1,705 total cases in Missoula County, with 625 active and eight deaths.

Four people who have tested positive currently are being treated in Lake County hospitals.

At least one confirmed case has been reported in every school district in the county, though many of those cases were reported more than 14 days ago and quarantine measures appear to have staved off quick spreading among school populations.

The state’s latest school data, updated Oct. 14 on the Department of Public Health and Human Services website, shows six confirmed cases at Salish Kootenai College. The state also is reporting 20 K-12 cases in the entire county, with recent cases (within 14 days) emerging at Ronan High School, Polson High School and Glacier View Christian in Ronan.

No cases have been reported at Two Eagle River School in Pablo.

By comparison, Flathead High School alone has 31 confirmed cases with 26 of those among the student population.

Quarantine protocols shut down the regular seasons for the Polson High School girls soccer team and the Charlo volleyball team, which is hoping to still compete in the postseason. Last week the Montana High School Association decided to move the start of all winter sports for state high schools into January, with practices beginning Dec. 7.

Montana on Tuesday reported 24,093 total confirmed cases statewide and 706 new cases. The Washington Post reports Montana is third in the nation in new daily cases per capita, behind only North Dakota and South Dakota. The Post also reports at least 220,000 deaths across the nation.

Multiple requests for comment from Lake County Public Health for this article went unanswered.