Evidence of community spread in Gallatin County

BOZEMAN (AP) — Health officials warned on Sunday that the there is evidence that the coronavirus has been spreading within southwestern Montana’s Gallatin County, stressing the need for the public to take precautions to prevent more people from being exposed to it.

Unlike the county’s first four cases of the coronavirus, the four people confirmed to have COVID-19 Saturday have no known source of infection, the Gallatin-City County Health Department said. They were had no known travel history, exposure to someone who traveled or exposure to other known COVID-19 cases, the department said.

“We stress again that now is the time to take strong action, and this underlines the importance of the restrictions and closures GCCHD and the governor have put into place to limit the spread of this disease,” the department’s health officer, Matt Kelley, said in the announcement.

The four people who were confirmed to have COVID-19 on Saturday have had mild symptoms and have been isolated. Those who had close contacts with them have been quarantined, the department said.

Two more people in the county were confirmed to have COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the county’s total number of confirmed cases to 10. Both of the latest patients are believed to have been exposed to the virus outside of Montana and are in good condition.