BILLINGS — The Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana has extended its stay-at-home order to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and has received more than $25 million in coronavirus relief aid.
The tribe’s stay-at-home order was extended to June 15, The Billings Gazette reported Wednesday.
Tribe Executive Branch Chairman Alvin “A.J.” Not Afraid first issued the order on March 28, which included checkpoints for people entering the reservation. It was scheduled to expire Thursday.
Travelers were encouraged not to travel to the reservation, and those who went out-of-state were asked to self-quarantine for 14 days, tribal leaders said.
Montana started to reopen in phases in April allowing retailers and other businesses to open. Gyms, museums and movie theaters will be able to resume operations on Friday.
Despite reopening phases, “it is essential, to the maximum extent possible, individuals stay at home or at their place of residence for all residents and tribal members of the Crow Indian Reservation,” Not Afraid said in the order.
The Crow Tribe has also received over $25 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act on Wednesday to fund personal protective equipment, testing kits, tribal government response efforts and infection prevention and mitigation plans.
“This is a huge accomplishment for the United States Government to provide such an unprecedented amount of aid, in such an immediate amount of time,” Not Afraid said. “Our Nation thanks you for providing us a chance to further allocate funding for proper supplies, to help meet our needs and further prepare our Nation, during the health pandemic we are facing.”
According to a Facebook post, the tribe currently has two positive cases of COVID-19 within the reservation as of April 30.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.