BILLINGS - Yellowstone County health officials on Tuesday reported an additional death due to COVID-19.
RiverStone Health said in a press release that a man in his 70s died from the virus at a Billings hospital on Jan. 3.
It was the first COVID-19 death in the county in 2021, and the 166th death since the pandemic began, county health officials said.
“I offer my condolences to the family and friends of this community member,” said John Felton, Yellowstone County public health officer and RiverStone Health CEO. “Our local hospitals and public health staff are seeing fewer new cases of COVID-19 than they did in November, but the pandemic continues to take a tragic toll in our community. Until everyone has access to safe, effective vaccines, we must each do our part to protect ourselves and our loved ones by slowing the spread of this contagious virus.”
Health officials stressed these measure are still necessary to slow the spread of the virus:
· Wear a mask in public and whenever you are with a person who doesn’t live with you.
· Keep your distance of at least 6 feet from others who don’t live with you.
· Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently.
· Stay home if you are ill.
At least 14,138 Yellowstone County residents have been infected with COVID-19 to date, according to RiverStone Health records.
More information on the pandemic, including updated Yellowstone County statistics, is online at covid.riverstonehealth.org.