By Medicine Hat News on August 11, 2020.
COVID-related deaths in the region across the U.S. border from southeast Alberta now total four. Officials in Hill County, Mont. reported on Sunday that two men in their 50s had died of the respiratory disease, according to media reports. Those are the first fatal cases in the area surrounding and including the Town of Havre. Two other deaths have been recorded on the nearby Rocky Boy Indian Reserve, which reports its figures separately. The county, which is south of Cypress County, had seen a spike in cases in July to 42 after recording only one confirmed diagnosis since late March. As of Sunday evening, only three cases remained active. Montana, which has a population of 1 million residents, surpassed 5,000 cases statewide on the weekend. About 1,530 are considered active with 273 people in hospital. Another 3,400 are considered recovered while 75 deaths are attributed to the coronavirus. 7