(RiverStone Health Press Release)
BILLINGS - RiverStone Health was notified Monday that COVID-19 disease claimed the life of three Yellowstone County residents over the weekend.
Six county residents have died in the first 11 days of July. These most recent deaths bring the pandemic toll to 281 county residents lost since April 2020, with 70 deaths occurring since the beginning of this year.
· A woman in her 60s died Friday, July 9, at a Billings hospital. She had received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine a week before she became ill with the virus and had underlying health conditions.
· A woman in her 90s died Saturday, July 10, at a Billings hospital. She had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and had underlying health conditions.
· A man in his 70s died Sunday, July 11, at a Billings hospital. He had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and had underlying health conditions.
“My heart goes out to the friends and family of these three pandemic victims,” said John Felton, Yellowstone County health officer, and president and CEO of RiverStone Health. “As we seek to comfort those who already have suffered terribly from COVID-19, let’s redouble our resolve to prevent new cases,” said Felton. “Our friends and neighbors who are elderly, immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions may not experience as high a rate of vaccine protection against the virus as healthy or younger individuals. Community members need to protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19 by getting vaccinated. Please do not wait for tragedy to strike your family.”
RiverStone Health, many local pharmacies and medical clinics offer COVID-19 vaccines to people age 12 and older. RiverStone Health has free, walk-in COVID-19 vaccination outreach clinics this week, including:
· Monday, 4 – 6 p.m., Huntley Project Schools, Pfizer and J&J.
· Tuesday, noon – 1 p.m., Pioneer Park, Pfizer and J&J.
· Wednesday 14, noon – 1 p.m., Castle Rock Park, Pfizer and J&J.
· Wednesday, 10 a.m. – noon, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 707 W 3rd St., Laurel, Pfizer and J&J.
· Thursday, noon – 1 p.m., Central Park, Pfizer and J&J.
· Thursday, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., Gardener’s Market in South Park, Pfizer and J&J.
· Friday, 5 – 7 p.m., RimRock Mall, Pfizer and J&J.
More vaccination information is posted at covid.riverstonehealth.org.