BILLINGS – A Yellowstone County woman in her 80′s has died of COVID-19, the county’s health department said Tuesday.
The woman died Monday at a Billings hospital, RiverStone Health announced. She is the 17th person in the state to die of the respiratory virus and the third in the county.
John Felton, the county’s health officer, extended sympathies to the woman’s family and friends. Her name has not been released.
“This death serves as a very unfortunate reminder about the seriousness of this pandemic,” he said in a statement. “We must continue to take measures to protect them from this disease.”
Montana’s last confirmed COVID-19 death happened on April 28, also in Yellowstone County.
There have been no new cases among the more than 3,000 tests run in the five days from Thursday through Monday.
Tests have confirmed 479 cases of COVID-19 in Montana to date.
Gov. Steve Bullock has announced plans for the second phase of reopening the economy to begin on June 1, with increased capacity at bars and restaurants and a lifting of the 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers.
For most people, the 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.