The Thanksgiving holiday week brought 71 more COVID-19 related deaths to Montana boosting the total to 2,638 since the start of the pandemic. After adding 1,919 new cases last week active cases totaled 4,248 Monday with 215 active hospitalizations. Of the eligible population in Montana 51% are vaccinated and 8% of kids age five to 11 are vacci...
New COVID Variant Not Yet Detected in Montana
The World Health Organization said Monday the newly detected omicron variant which has a high number of variations could bring a “very high” risk across the globe but so far the variant has not been detected in Montana. The state Department of Public Health and Human Services will notify people when the omicron variant is detected in Montana a...
Montana’s Right To Try Act Conflicts With Alternative COVID Treatment Requests
The Right to Try Act which was signed into law in Montana in 2015 opens the door for some terminally ill patients to access investigational drugs. While the law has been invoked by some in Montana requesting unapproved treatments for COVID-19 such as ivermectin, it does not require a doctor to prescribe medication or any type of treatment. A p...
Gov. Gianforte & Health Care Providers Disagree Over CMS Vaccine Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services final interim rule requires most Medicare and Medicaid certified providers to ensure their staff is fully vaccinated against COVID by the fifth of December or risk monetary penalties denial of payment or termination from Medicare and Medicaid programs. Tuesday Governor Greg Gianforte “reaffirmed...
Billings Hospitals To Follow Federal Vaccine Mandate
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued its final interim rule requiring most Medicare and Medicaid providers’ staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and despite some public outcry across Montana Billings’ providers are ready to comply. Northern News Network’s Eric Young reports. https://northernbroadcasting.com/w...
State Vaccination Numbers Now Include Children Aged 5-11
The state COVID-19 vaccine dashboard has been updated to reflect the addition of the newly added 5 to 11-year-old age group now eligible to be vaccinated. As a result the eligible population of Montanans fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been updated to 50%. In addition the county percentages on the map have been adjusted. The total number...
Montana Ranked In Top 5 Of States Most Dependent On The Federal Government
The personal finance technology company Money Geek has published a report analyzing the states most dependent on federal funding. Currently overall Montana ranks 5th. (pre-COVID-19) Montana ranked first with 29% of the state’s revenue coming from federal funding. For every dollar of federal taxes paid Montana receives $2.25 back. On an annuali...
Billings Pediatrician Offers Vaccine Recommendation For Teenaged Kids
Children aged 5 to 11 are now eligible to get a smaller dose of COVID-19 vaccine but what should be done if a child is about to turn 12 soon? Billings Clinic Pediatrician David Higgins. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/11-09_637.mp3
BNSF Railway Files Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandates
BNSF Railway filed a lawsuit Sunday against its major unions over its mandate to require all its employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific have filed similar lawsuits. The unions which have filed some of their own lawsuits in response argue that the railroads should have negotiated with them before...
Iowa Deer Test Positive For COVID-19
A recently released Iowa study found about one-third of 280 captive and free-ranging deer had tested positive for COVID-19 raising concerns about deer being a reservoir for the virus to mutate. Jennifer Ramsey wildlife veterinarian for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks calls the recent research concerning because there’s a lot of uncertainty ab...