[Music] good afternoon, everyone, I’m Janelle Slade in just minutes, governor Steve Bullock, will hold another press conference to address Montana. Today. We expect him to extend his statewide stay at home directive for another two weeks. That would go out until April 24th. We now go live to Governor Steve Bullock in Helena. We do have an estimated 57 patients who have recovered today. We anticipate that our state lab will test you in excess of 400 Montanans. Well, this time we may not be able to pinpoint exactly how long this pandemic will last in every day, we put orders in and are waiting on, the arrival of 1 million in 95 masks, among other supplies, hope to receive some of those by the end of This week, but I’m not going to count on it till I actually see that delivery receipt here at the state and we won’t stop working to obtain every supply possible, whether through the private side or from the federal government. I don’t want a day to go by where a nurse or an ER doctor doesn’t have sufficient PPE to keep them other patients and their families safe. I don’t want a day to go by where our first responders don’t have the masks necessary to do their jobs. I know I joined many Montanans and wanting to ensure that our health care workers and first responders have adequate PPE and by staying at home, we can actually help make that a reality. Additionally, we’re a state where there can be long distances to access care. Its easy to look at the map of Coppa 19 cases and see with many central and eastern Montana counties. Don’T yet have a positive case. Well, that seems like a bright spot and it is also recognized. An outbreak in a rural community could easily overrun a local health care facility. The distances between critical access hospitals in Montana are long far, it’s already difficult for our fellow rural Montana’s to access care, and we ought to make sure that those challenges don’t become more cumbersome. We stay at home for the Montanans and our rural communities and for our rural health care workers. We’Ve already seen some of the challenges that we can face in a rural community in Tula County. The state was notified about a case at a long-term care center in Toole County on the evening of March 25th. Local Public Health, working with their partners within the medical community to work quickly to identify other possible cases in close contacts to help prevent further spread of the virus infection prevention protocols, recovered 19 were put in place at both the assisted living facility and the local hospital. Theres now been 20 cases associated with that event, including 17 tools, County cases and three from neighbor neighboring counties confirmed in Tula County cases include seven residents of an assisted living facility. Five employees of that facility, seven of a neighboring medical facility in one family contact. All the residents in the long-term care facility are under quarantine, including three individuals diagnosed with Kovac 19, who are currently in isolation and another case that are no longer in isolation. An incident command structure has been established in glacier tool in pend oreille counties, Bob Sandman, who retired from the DNR C and was a the head of a type-1 firefighting crew. He has experience working incident command. His acting is that local incident command here. This is a partnership between the state of Montana, Hospital Association and local governments. It’S being led locally resources have been sent from across the region to assist everything from staffing support from Kalispell Regional Hospital to a number of Montana Air National Guard Airmen serving as personnel. A deep-clean of the hospital occurred yesterday, deep-clean that the assisted living facility is occurring today or tomorrow, and the state level were in daily contact with the incident command team and those working on it and really do want to give props or a shout-out to the Good work, that’s being done on the ground with that unitary command team, it really is making a big difference. Finally, we also we stay at home, not just because of our rural areas, but we stay at home so that we can more quickly rebuild a thriving economy. Its not a choice between a healthy population and a healthy economy. The two go hand-in-hand: managing this public health crisis now will prevent longer-term consequences that could upend our economy for longer duration and with worse outcome. I know when I recognize that this is an extremely challenging time for small businesses, medium businesses, workers and family alike. We continue to strive to do everything that we can to help support those businesses and workers during this time, along with the extension of the stay at home directive. We’re also extending other directives on that same two-week timeline, including the mandatory quarantine for certain travelers arriving into Montana from another state or country. The closure of all non-residential public schools in Montana, the restriction for on-premises food and beverage businesses and the consumer protections to suspend evictions. For closures and cancellation of utility services, including water, heating and Internet services, giving Montana some critical financial support during this time, we continue to work to improve the process for filing for unemployment benefits and from March 29th, through April 5th, we issued over 24,000 payments to Montana And impacted by cope at 19, and today we successfully sold bonds at historically low interest rate in order to move forward with a planning and designing critical infrastructure projects across our state in 2019 ice on legislation marking the first comprehensive statewide bond package in over a decade. Today we made the first of three issuances of bonds at 33 million dollars. We were able to do so in a volatile market created by kovat 19 in part because of our strong credit ratings and stable outlook predictions by selling those bonds today we’re ensuring that when it is safe to do so that we can immediately boost our economy by Putting shovels in the dirt to both address infrastructure needs, our communities have and create good-paying jobs, and the selling of those bonds today allows Montanans to continue with that planning and design process. When the time comes, we don’t have to wait on selling bonds. Thats already done. Instead, we’ll be ready right away to build on our economy by beginning the construction, creating an estimated four hundred twelve jobs more than twenty million dollars in wages also like to share two additional directives that we’re issuing today, local and county governments are integral to the response To cover 19, they shouldn’t be forced to levy additional taxes on Montanans to access emergency funding passed by Congress to respond to the needs of residents in this economic situation. So I’m issuing a directive waiving the current requirement that local and county governments to implement a two mil emergency levee in order to access new funding from the federal cares Act. Local and county governments won’t need to use all available emergency levies before they can access state emergency or disaster funding. The simple fix that makes sense is we all work together to safeguard our economies during the Cova 19 emergency. Additionally, Montanans across our state have been relying on first responders, we’re incredibly grateful for everything they’ve done to fight this virus on the front lines today, I am issuing a directive to protect our first responders by providing the clarification needed to allow all first responders to be notified Before they come into contact with someone that has tested positive for Kovac 19, for example, a person who’s being monitored and is in isolation at home, requests an ambulance due to breathing issues. The ambulance could be dispatched with an exposure warning and emergency services. Personnel could be prepared, with the appropriate PPE there’s already an established protocol to notify law enforcement, firefighters, emergency care providers and corrections officers if they have assisted someone, who’s tested positive for covin 19. After the fact, this measure will provide the information first responders need to safely. Do their job during this emergency and ensure that they can take appropriate precautions to protect themselves their families and to limit the spread of Coppa 19, as we all work together to slow the spread of coronavirus. I’M daily reminded that we are in this together and we’ll get through it together, so thanks to all Montanans for their diligence and their sacrifice during this time, I’ll now turn it over to questions. If you’d like to ask a question, you can press the five stars you’ll be notified that your hand is raised when we unmute your phone you’ll be notified. That you’ve been called on to ask your question. If the question has already been answered, if you press the five stars again, you’ll be taken out of that question queue questions, hello, hey, not considered at this time. It’S rapidly evolved in a dynamic time, but by the same token, what we see are Montanans taking care Montanans and that people are taking this seriously and they’re only going out of their house to get a breath of fresh air or to go for some of those Essential activities so there’s nothing that I’ve considered today that would put in a statewide curfew and reporter what projects should be prioritizing well. I think that look in my order is consistent with what the Department of Homeland Security looks at is critical infrastructure projects. So it’s not mine to necessarily pick the winners and losers. I would certainly hope that any construction activities that are occurring that they’re doing everything possible that they can to follow the social distancing guidelines. Well, I think we’re doing everything possible to mitigate that from occurring, and I asked contractors and everybody in the private sector as well to use their judgment if they do enter into Montana. Please, oh so, there’s no statewide mandate of how no local shares Austin Police Department should enforce social, distancing and others do live up, but Beauty. Even this weekend decided someone who had a group larger than ten at their residence. Would you recommend all other jurisdictions? Do the same? No, what I’d recommend is Montanans, never allow it to get to a point where local law enforcement would need to intervene. I mean reading that article. At least this was the second or third time that concerns were raised before local law enforcement exercises. Anything so, at the end of the day, this is about us taking care of neighbors, not necessarily local law enforcement needing to interject all the time. So from that perspective, I’d encourage every Montanan to follow the social distancing guidelines and the directive, and I do appreciate, as there is authority vested within local law enforcement, but I think that they’re being very, very thoughtful in their approach. I mean I have no doubt that no local, any local peace officer loves going out as a result that either a business or groups aren’t necessarily complying with the guidelines. So, let’s just hope that everybody actually does it question follow, maybe they’re two different things: community-acquired transmission is occurring in Montana, but that doesn’t mean we’ve seen statewide community spread. I mean public health officials aren’t considering to be community spread statewide because Montana doesn’t have that widespread transmission, that’s evident in places like New York and Washington and there’s also many counties that have no known cases at this time and what we’re doing statewide is working aggressively To protect, prevent that virus from spreading consistently advocated for Montanans to receive supplies that they need to both perform the contract. Contact tracing, including in the counties, are those communities that have said that they have community-acquired transmission occurring. So it’s no, we’re not seeing that statewide, but there is a transmission that has occurred within a community. Sir, no sir Azov, today the guards tested 1201 people so when I say tested that means as they’re coming off giving them a temperature check. They’Ve referred six of those individuals to help care providers. None of those six to date have been covered 19 positive, though we have 88 soldiers and airmen activated as of today at our major airports and rail stations. Another phone question sure can Hawley imagine that [Music, ] [Music, ] [, Music, ] yeah, and thanks for the question Holly I mean we do look at that model. We are actually looking at other modeling as well. You know, trying to get as much information as possible, recognizing that models are just that and probably the greatest thing to impact a model isn’t going to be a statistician. Its going to be what each and every one of us do in our homes and our communities, to try to ensure that transmission is not occurring. Do I think that we’ve hit the peak at this point? No, I do not, I think, we’ll continue to see growth in cases as far as then, what we do on the backside and when we start lifting restrictions haven’t reached that determination, yeah and what that is in part. We have to look at both what the transmission is, but the sort of increase in help 19 cases are and what we’re seeing in Montana this man she’s not found question Tristan the beacon buff right there. If you were here, you’d see it, it’s not the first time. Well, I think Tristan we may well may could we could, but I guess I’d also encourage that from those sort of as the local anecdotal issues arise, that this is a partnership and it’s a partnership. Not just with the employers, but also local public health, so that, if there’s gross or flagrant violations that those gross are flagrant, violations should either be brought up at the state level or at the local level. Another fun question hi card this morning. Whats that we can get it for a car and we have a little bit of it and we will get it. You want to dr

Holtzman or just do we collect it? How could we get it out here? Why don’t you come take the myth, I’m gon na turn over dr. wholesome and the state’s medical officer. So this is a rough breakdown so far, and this can change as we get more information as it comes in. But at this point in time about 95 % has of the cases have been white 3.5 American Indian 0.4 % african-american point for Asian and point for other. There has been no cases associated directly with the tribal reservations at this point in time, but we’re modern in all that closely other questions on the phone. We don’t have specific numbers on how many individuals have been tested at within our tribal communities. So I think that the 24,000 payments between March 29th and April 5th that’s one week, so it the individual workers. I look at between [Music, ] March 16th and April 5th. Theres been 56,000 86 new and reactivated claims, so that would be individuals have been in conversation with some of the individuals and leaders of the health insurance side, although those are largely regulated by the state auditor and I’ve not made any request that they refund premiums, because I also think that they’re also taking steps when it takes to make health care even that much more accessible for individuals at this time, but we’ll continue to serve monitor it. And I do applaud because all state sent me that notice as well, and I applaud them. Recognizing that is their risk pool changes because of utilization, actually getting money back into the pockets of hard work in Montanans. The difference may well end up with health care providers or insurance that the risk pool can be increasing, not changing the way that you’re, having like less driving last phone question, so Nikki that, on a daily basis that the public health lab is in contact with the CDC providing them updates on Montana’s numbers yeah at the end of the day, Nikki it’s a local determination which sets that it’s not me saying that here’s community-acquired transmission, so it’s local public health officials that make that determination. And then we report it up yeah or either lag and state reporting it, I mean what we’ve been reporting. Also is us eight public health officials haven’t said, we’ve had community spread statewide and it’s the local determination, the local public health that says and reports out the community acquired transmission then is occurring and as I’m and as I noted to that. Yes, we’re in contact with, like the health officials, are in daily contact, giving the CDC data I mean. I think that it’s every other couple days, I’m either on the phone with someone from the CDC or other individual’s sort of along that chain. Myself, dismember, we’ve seen examples from other states when providers, prisoners, prisons and it’s by all means devastating. We see this turn from people across Montana’s think that maybe our prisons are cute enough to screen and to make sure that those buildings are deep clean. What do you know about state efforts to ensure that? Well, I think that even last week we put out a directive on when it comes to prisons. As far as the transport, the expectation of and that, like a prisoner transport from outside, is only now that the exception or when the director of the Department of Corrections says so and at that point also any individual transferred in is but one example then would go Through a 14-day isolation or quarantine process, we do even have some oversight of as the Department of Corrections recognized in tool county. Also, you have the prison facility in Shelby. There hasn’t been any transmission in or Kovan nineteen positive tests in Shelby, and I know that, like our correctional officers and the corrections staff take this very seriously and they’re doing everything that they can to make sure that the prisoners and the staff are safe. There are like daily temperature checks now, but a fun question. I missed part of that one more time I can’t AJ to determine. Well, we don’t collect our city county of residence on individuals testing on a regular basis. We also have certain regional nature of health care delivery, so many of our samples could come like if you’re looking at they’re in Glasgow, that it could actually be individuals from other counties or other communities. So we’re not, it’s not necessarily informative of either the amount of testing that might be in a community or the amount of efforts along the way. Given that folks go from County to County and one of the things that again, that would encourage anyone. If they’re symptomatic and those to go to that health care provider, certainly to get tests because at the end of the day we want to, I think, more testings better and you know us well. We know that. Certainly, the epidemiologist point out that areas like Galton don’t have higher numbers as a result of over testing nor to places like cascade have lower numbers as a result of under testing. This is going to be a tragic period in America, but are you prepared cooker these? The steam prepare for that if this gets much worse, look at me and I think, knowing that we’ve lost six Montanans, it’s been a tragic period already and also. I know that the steps of Montanans take, because I think what the Surgeon General statements were in part is what you’re seeing now in, especially in our larger communities are, unfortunately, the mortalities, the deaths from actions taken or not taken two weeks ago with the transmission. So we are doing everything we can to prepare, not just for this week. The for next week and the week after and any loss of life is certainly tragic and I think Montana is a state where no, we may not have hundreds but every Montana and feel something when we end up reporting out another loss of life and we’ll Continue to do everything that we can to mitigate that less than that from happening, but that’s also why we ask every Montana and to do what they can as well, because we’re all in this together. Thank you very much. [Laughter, ], governor Steve, Bullock, addressing Montana live from the state capital today, the governor, as expected, will extend the stay at home directive in Montana. It was set to expire this Friday today it will add an additional two weeks to that order. Until Friday April 24th, Bullock also addressing measures to protect first responders and support for local governments and also asking all Montana’s to wear a face mask when they go to the grocery store or pharmacy, when they’re out in the public to join us right here on cue. Two tonight at 5:30 for the very latest results and reaction from across our community and state, we’ll see you then