The Pondera County Health Department reported the county's first coronavirus-related death on Saturday morning.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce the first death of a Pondera County resident from complications due to COVID-19," a news release from the health department says (read here).
The health department declined to release further information about the death — including the individual's identity — citing privacy concerns.
There are 42 active cases in Pondera County as of Saturday afternoon, per the state's coronavirus tracking map and an MTN News database. There have been 42 active cases and 21 recoveries in Pondera County, which has nearly 6,000 residents according to the latest census data.
On Saturday morning, the state reported 501 new cases in Montana and no new deaths. The state also reported 4,569 active COVID-19 cases and 186 deaths. There are 189 current hospitalizations and a total of 741 hospitalizations.