VIDEO: Missoula Co. COVID-19 daily briefing - June 30, 2020

MISSOULA — Missoula County COVID-19 Incident Commander Cindy Farr offered up the latest information on the coronavirus in her Tuesday, June 30 briefing.

Local health officials are reporting 42 active COVID-19 cases in Missoula County as of Tuesday morning and the cumulative case total to 92.

There have been 89 confirmed cases to date as well as three epi-linked cases, according to the Missoula City-County Health Department. There is also one active hospitalization in Missoula County.

Farr discusses the sharp increase in cases and close contacts, and the shift back to only testing symptomatic individuals and their close contacts.

Local health officials note that Missoula County did not accumulate 20 cases overnight as reflected on the state tracking map. The state's reported cases were accumulated over the weekend and case information was fully reconciled on Tuesday morning.

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.

The Missoula City-County Health Department has suspended its county-wide Sentinel Testing Plan at the Western Montana Fairgrounds due to the recent uptick in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Thanks to additional supplies, those who are not experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, that work in high-risk environments including healthcare workers and first responders, service industry and personal care workers and county residents returning to Montana are encouraged to make an appointment to get tested.

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.