LIBBY — Health officials in Lincoln County are attributing a spike in cases over the weekend to a cluster outbreak as seven new cases are reported on Monday night.
The Lincoln County Health Department reports three of the seven new cases are part of a cluster in Libby while two are from out-of-state travel.
The other two cases have not been connected to any other known cases.
Right now, 26 of the county's 33 active cases are part of a cluster outbreak in Libby.
Health officials had reported 18 positive cases were confirmed there on Sunday alone.
Lincoln County Public Health Manager Jennifer McCully says the spike can’t be attributed to a certain event or large gathering.
Those who tested positive in the cluster outbreak are known to interact with one another on a frequent basis.
“We haven’t been able to bring it back to an event or a gathering of any kind, it’s a community of folks that intermingle quite a bit, so we were expecting some cases this weekend out of that," McCully said.
She also told MTN News that she expects positive COVID-19 cases to continue to rise in Lincoln County for the foreseeable future.
McCully is encouraging individuals to avoid large gatherings and to frequently wash their hands.