Granite County COVID-19 Update: July 11, 2020

GRANITE COUNTY - A sixth case of COVID-19 has been identified in Montana's Granite County.

Mark Ransford, Chairman of the Granite County Board of Health, indicated that the county would not be making additional postings to its website unless new cases were related to a new and separate source. As of 5 p.m. Saturday, July 11, 2020 there has been no such posting.

The Granite County Medical Center (GCMC) is providing free testing to individuals Tuesdays in Drummond (Medical Clinic on Broad St.) and Wednesdays and Thursdays in Philipsburg (GC Medical Center). The remaining dates for July are: (Drummond) the 14th, 21st and 28th. The remaining dates in Philipsburg are the 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, All times are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

GCMC CEO Maria Stoppler posted these symptoms of the Coronavirus in an email to the Flint Creek Courier earlier this month. They may appear 2-14 days after exposure and they are:

• Fever or chills

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

• Fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• New loss of taste or smell

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Nausea or vomiting

• Diarrhea

In addition to those symptoms listed by the CDC, here are essential steps that can be taken to prevent the transmission and spread of the virus. These were also obtained from Stoppler and read as follows:

• Thorough and frequent hand washing is critical

• Avoid close contact keeping a distance of at least 6 feet if possible

• Wear cloth face coverings in public where social distancing is difficult to maintain

• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces

• Sneeze or cough into a tissue, handkerchief, or your elbow

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth