Tester, Bullock answer COVID-19 questions remotely
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MONTANA – Two elected officials teamed up last week to answer Montana residents’ questions about the coronavirus pandemic in a video call via Facebook live.
Governor Steve Bullock, speaking from Helena, and Senator Jon Tester, who called in from his office in Washington D.C., answered questions residents across the state submitted prior to the event. More than 16,000 people watched the video last week.
Both Tester and Bullock highlighted that the state has the lowest number of cases of coronavirus and hospitalizations in the country. They credited Bullock’s implementation of stay-at-home orders and school closures with slowing the virus’s spread.
On June 1, the state will enter phase two of the phased re-opening. That will allow gathering places, like bowling alleys, to open up. Restaurants and breweries will be allowed to have more customers in their establishments, up to 75 percent of capacity.
June 1 will also mark the end of the mandatory 14-day quarantine for those entering the state from other locations. Groups of up to 50 will be allowed to gather, as long as they follow CDC guidelines. Local pubic health officials can implement stricter or more specific guidelines than those provided by the state.
“We can’t prevent all COVID-19 cases, but we can have some sense of a normal life while preventing major outbreaks,” Bullock said.
One resident asked why, with such a low number of cases, the state had to continue to stay in phase one until June 1. Bullock responded by saying data on infected people usually reflects the reality of a situation two weeks prior to when the data was released. He wanted to wait to make sure there wasn’t a spike in cases before moving to the next phase. “We want to make sure we can stay open,” Bullock said.
A number of questions revolved around how tourism would be impacted by the virus. Bullock said the start to the tourism season would be gradual. He stressed that social distancing would continue to be necessary, especially in tourist towns inundated with travelers from out of state.
One person asked how farmers and ranchers could get access to funds allocated by the CARES Act to reduce financial suffering. Tester said those who have lost five percent or more of their revenue because of COVID-19 could qualify for financial support. Tester encouraged producers who have suffered business losses related to COVID-19 to contact their local Farm Service Agencies to apply for funds. More information can be found at farmers.gov/cfap.
Tester talked about the loss of health insurance for some people, related to lost jobs due to COVID-19. He said this was an issue he was dedicated to working through. He has proposed opening a special enrollment period for Affordable Care Act coverage for those who have lost their insurance but that has yet to be implemented.
Tester emphasized the importance of childcare workers. He said the CARES Act provided funds that could support childcare facilities. More information can be found at dphhs.mt.gov.
In response to a question about personal protective equipment, Bullock said the state received cloth and surgical masks from FEMA. These masks are being distributed around the state. Healthcare workers who do not have access to adequate PPE should have their administrators contact the state.
Both Tester and Bullock encouraged Montanans to continue wearing masks, staying home if they're sick and maintaining social distance.
