HELENA – Montana officials announced two more deaths due to COVID-19 on Wednesnday, bringing the total number of deaths related to the respiratory virus in the state to 54.
More than half of the deaths have happened in the past three weeks.
Details about the recent deaths were not immediately available.
The state reported 201 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, for a total of 3,676 since the pandemic began. The number of infections is thought to be much higher because many people have not been tested.
Just over 2,200 people in Montana are considered to have recovered from the virus while just over 1,400 are known to still be infected. Fifty-nine people in the state are hospitalized.
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.
Gov. Steve Bullock was expected to host a press conference Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on new coronavirus cases and the testing efforts in the state.