Alluvion Health in Great Falls is clearing up what went wrong recently after 10 patients were given incorrect coronavirus test results. A spokesperson for the federal health center says the mishap was due to a "human input error," and the mistake did not affect county or state COVID reporting data.
Alluvion did not give a specific time frame of when the incident happened, but a spokesperson said the patients were immediately notified of the mistake, first by Alluvion and then by the Cascade City-County Health Department. According to a news release, Alluvion has made changes to prevent misreporting from happening again. Alluvion did not offer any other details on Friday about how the incident happened.
The health center has provided free drive-through COVID testing since the spring. Testing is still available at the Montana ExpoPark in Great Falls. You do not have to be symptomatic or make an appointment to receive a test, and results typically come back within seven business days.
To learn more about Alluvion's free coronavirus testing, click here.
As of Thursday evening, the CCHD reports the following data for Cascade County: deaths - 58; new cases - 164; active cases - 3,503; cumulative cases - 4,344.
RESTRICTIONS: Tighter restrictions went into effect today due to the continuing increase in the number of cases and deaths. Masks will be required in all counties regardless of the number of active cases. Capacity at restaurants, bars, and casinos will be reduced to 50%, with a limit of six people per table. The businesses must close by 10 p.m. Public gatherings will also be limited to 25 people where social distancing is not possible. Click here to read the full text of the directive.
CONTEXT: Not every person who tests positive actually becomes ill or exhibits symptoms. Many do not; of those who do become sick, some experience mild symptoms and do not require hospitalization. Others, however, do require hospitalization, as noted in the daily update on the number of people hospitalized. However, every person who tests positive for COVID-19 has the potential to spread the virus to other people, including family members and friends, which is why public health officials continue to encourage everyone to wear a mask and maintain at least the recommended six feet of "social distance" when in public. The CDC released data in late August which emphasizes that people with contributing or chronic medical conditions are at much greater risk of dying from COVID-19. Click here to read more.
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