HELENA — Montana testing confirmed more than 350 cases of COVID-19 over the weekend while the state reported its 47th death due to the respiratory virus.
A woman in her 90s died at a Billings hospital on Saturday, the Yellowstone County health department said Monday. The woman’s death was the 18th in 20 days in the county. Fifteen of those deaths are tied to an outbreak at Canyon Creek Memory Care in Billings, officials have said.
The state reported a record 224 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, 89 on Sunday and 41 on Monday, bringing the state’s total known number of cases to 3,381. The number of infections is thought to be much higher because many people have not been tested.
Sixty-one people are hospitalized.
Nearly 2,100 people are considered to have recovered from the virus, meaning they test negative. Just over 1,200 are known to still be infected. The state’s mask mandate applied in 25 of the state’s 56 counties on Monday.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. The vast majority of people recover.