Governor Bullock Extends Montana School, Restaurant Closures

The public schools in Montana will stay closed until at least April 10th. Governor Steve Bullock announced the extension Tuesday afternoon. In a news conference, he said restaurants, bars and other gathering places will also stay shuttered until April 10th due to the increasing number of positive COVID-19 tests. The closures had been originally set to expire Friday. The Associated Press reports that Bullock is also prohibiting "non-essential social and recreational gatherings" of more than 10 people without spacing of at least 6 feet between participants.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 46 positive COVID-19 cases in Montana. An update is expected later Tuesday. Ravalli County was still at one COVID-19 case. The Ravalli County Incident Management Team advised the public Tuesday that this is "a long term incident. Remain calm, buy only what you need, take care of yourselves and your neighbors. Practice physical distancing, cover your cough, wash your hands and don't touch your face."