BILLINGS - Yellowstone County reported another resident has died due to COVID-19.
A woman in her 40s died of COVID-19 related illness on Feb. 12, according to RiverStone Health. She became the 519th county resident to lose their life to the pandemic virus.
The woman passed away at a Billings hospital. She was unvaccinated and had underlying medical conditions that put her at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
On Monday, Billings hospitals had 53 COVID-19 inpatients, including 28 who weren’t vaccinated and 25 who were fully vaccinated, which means they had received at least one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine or at least two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Among the hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 11 were in ICU and seven were on ventilators.
Since the beginning of April 2021, 82% of Montanans who were hospitalized with COVID-19 illness and 78% of those who died from it were unvaccinated at the time of infection, according to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. During the past eight weeks as the Omicron variant spread in Montana, 70% of Montanans who were hospitalized and 81% of those who died had not received a COVID-19 vaccine, DPHHS data show.
The data indicate that vaccination, including booster shots, remains the safest, most effective way to reduce risk of COVID-19 infection, sickness and death.
Booster shots as well as recommended first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine are available at no charge to people age 5 and older at local clinics and pharmacies. For an appointment, call:
· RiverStone Health Immunization Clinic at 406-247-3382.
· RiverStone Health Clinic at 406.247.3350.
The RiverStone Health hosted free, walk-in community clinic at the Shrine Auditorium, 1125 Broadwater Ave., will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 3.
For more information on reducing your COVID-19 risk, please visit covid.riverstonehealth.org.