BILLINGS - RiverStone Health reported Monday that two Yellowstone County residents died on Sunday of COVID-19 illness.
Both individuals died in Billings hospitals and both had underlying medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness, the health agency said in a press release. Their deaths raised the county’s pandemic toll to 488.
The deceased include:
· A woman in her 50s who was not vaccinated.
· A man in his 80s who was vaccinated.
On Monday, Billings hospitals had 64 COVID-19 inpatients, including 44 who weren’t vaccinated and 20 who were vaccinated. Among the hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 12 were in ICU and nine were on ventilators.
The number of new COVID-19 cases has risen sharply in the past two weeks in Montana. Last week alone, RiverStone Health received reports of 1,662 Yellowstone County residents testing positive for the virus.
Vaccination remains the safest, most effective way to reduce risk of COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death, the press release states. COVID-19 vaccines are available at local medical clinics and pharmacies. RiverStone Health will offer these free, walk-in community COVID-19 vaccination clinics for people age five and older:
· Thursday, Jan. 20, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium, 1125 Broadwater Ave.
· Thursday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m. – noon at Petro Theater, Montana State University Billings, 1500 University Dr.
· Thursday, Jan. 27, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at City College Tech Building, 3803 Central Ave.
· Thursday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium, 1125 Broadwater Ave.
Free COVID-19 vaccinations also can be scheduled by appointment with the RiverStone Health Immunization Clinic at 406.247.3382. Vaccination also can be scheduled with RiverStone Health Clinic at 406.247.3350.