Bullock extends stay-at-home order until April 24

Gov. Steve Bullock issued a directive on Tuesday extending statewide stay-at-home orders for at least two more weeks.

The directive extends the order until at least April 24. It also maintains the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers into the state; school closures; closures of bars, restaurants and other non-essential businesses; and consumer protection measures such as halting evictions and barring utility companies from shutting off services.

Bullock also announced a directive requiring all first responders to be notified if they are to come in contact with patients exposed to the coronavirus.

The governor encouraged all Montanans to wear a cloth mask when leaving home, especially when going to public places like the grocery store or pharmacy. He said masks should not be seen as a replacement for social distancing or other protective measures.

“In a state like Montana, they [these measures] may seem too cautious,” Bullock said. But “every action we take now will help us overcome these challenges, or even better, make sure we never have to confront them.”

Bullock said the state had issued over 49,000 unemployment payments by Tuesday since Montana’s first recorded cases of the COVID-19 on March 13. He said Montanans need to stay at home “so we can safely rebuild a thriving economy.”

Bullock added he thinks Montana has not yet “hit the peak” of the pandemic.

Montana had 319 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and recorded six deaths from the virus as of Tuesday afternoon. Flathead County had 31 confirmed cases, and the City-County Health Department announced on Tuesday there was evidence for community spread of the coronavirus.

Bullock further issued a directive to waive the current statutory requirement that local and county governments implement a 2 mill emergency levy in order to access new funding coming to the state through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The governor said Montana taxpayers “shouldn’t be forced to pay a penalty to allow local and county governments to receive the aid passed by Congress to respond to the unprecedented economic situation caused by COVID-19.”