Yellowstone County reports 46th COVID-related death for October

Billings- RiverStone Health reported one new COVID-19-related death Thursday, bringing the October total to 46 in Yellowstone County.

The woman in her 70s died Wednesday in a Billings hospital. She was not vaccinated and had underlying conditions.

The new death brings Yellowstone County's total to 403 since the start of the pandemic.

On Thursday, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare were caring for 43 COVID-19 patients in ICU; 33 were on ventilators. Combined, the hospitals had 134 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including 104 who were not vaccinated.

Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are available at local medical clinics and pharmacies.

RiverStone Health will hold a free, walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic on November 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the main campus, 123 S. 27^th St., in the four-story building.

A limited number of vaccination appointments are available from the RiverStone Health Immunization Clinic, phone 406.247.3382. More vaccination information is posted at covid.riverstonehealth.org.

RiverStone Health is offering at no charge:

· First and second doses of Pfizer vaccine to people age 12 and older.

· First and second doses of Moderna and the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to people age 18 and older.

· Third doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to immune-compromised people.

· Booster shots of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Drive-through testing

RiverStone Health and St. Vincent Healthcare provide free drive-through COVID-19 tests from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays at St. Vincent Healthcare parking lot M, at North 28^th Street and 11^th Avenue North. The test site is closed from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. daily. Tests are available to people age five and older who have symptoms of COVID-19 or had close contact with a person who tested positive. St. Vincent Healthcare will provide lab results to those tested within 48 hours.

Please be aware that this outdoor test site may close during inclement weather.