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COVID-19

Blackfeet Tribe Retracts COVID-19 Restrictions

The chair of the Tribal Business Council said Monday's restrictions were based on case guidelines that were in effect early in the pandemic

By Associated Press
Browning, hub of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, on March 18, 2021. Hunter D’Antuono | Flathead Beacon

HELENA – Montana’s Blackfeet Tribe on Tuesday retracted the COVID-19 restrictions that were announced a day earlier.

The chair of the Tribal Business Council said Monday’s restrictions were based on case guidelines that were in effect early in the pandemic.

With vaccines and testing being available, the same strict guidelines are not needed, said Timothy F. Davis, chairman of the Tribal Business Council.

The tribal council met with health officials and the tribe’s COVID-19 Incident Command and retracted the restrictions announced Monday that included a mask mandate, no large social gatherings, the closure of tribal offices to the public and a curfew.

Masks are strongly encouraged, along with social distancing, while people with symptoms are asked to stay home.

“We will continue to monitor our cases and implement other safety plans, if needed,” Davis said in a social media post which also apologized for the confusion.