VIDEO: Missoula Co. COVID-19 daily briefing - July 14

MISSOULA — Missoula County COVID-19 Incident Commander Cindy Farr offered up the latest information on the coronavirus in her Tuesday, July 14 briefing.

Missoula County is reporting 44 active cases, 97 recoveries, and one death.

There are more than 340 active close contacts at this time. Active cases and close contacts are in quarantine and isolation.

There are also currently three active hospitalizations in MSO County, one of which is a county resident.

Farr reviews processes related to testing, including test results and patient notification. She also revisits cloth face coverings in today's briefing.

It should be noted that the Missoula City-County Health Department often finds out results from private labs and updates numbers before the state and there are also differences in reporting criteria, so the local numbers may differ from those that appear on the Montana COVID-19 tracking map.

For example, the state does not report epidemiologically linked cases. Cases that are “epi-linked” developed symptoms while in quarantine after being identified as close contacts to cases that tested positive. Epi-linked cases are isolated and monitored by public health, just like lab-confirmed positive cases.

There are mental health resources and information available for residents who are in need of help. Click here for details on what services are available. The Missoula County COVID-19 info line can be reached by calling (406) 258-INFO weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional local information about the coronavirus situation can be found here.

We know the COVID-19 pandemic is changing our community. To keep you and your family informed as we move forward, we're beginning a new series of reports. They are stories that will help all of us navigate through these uncertain times. In the coming weeks and months, we'll be focusing on “The Rebound: Montana.”

It is a series of reports, videos, and information that show our commitment to stories that will help you as our communities begin to rebound - from what you'll need to know when it's time to go back to work, to how those in the community continue to step up and help others.