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Second COVID-19 case detected in Lincoln County

DERRICK PERKINS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 6 years, 5 months AGO
by DERRICK PERKINS
NEWS EDITOR Derrick Perkins serves as News Editor at the Daily Inter Lake. He oversees daily news coverage and works closely with reporters to plan, edit and publish stories across print and digital platforms. Perkins helps coordinate coverage of local government, public safety, business and community developments throughout Northwest Montana. He works with the reporting staff to strengthen journalism while maintaining consistent daily coverage. His role helps ensure the newsroom delivers timely, accurate reporting that readers rely on. IMPACT: Derrick’s work keeps readers informed about the decisions and events shaping their communities every day. | March 26, 2020 8:21 PM

Less than a day after confirming Lincoln County’s first COVID-19 patient, local health officials say they identified another resident with the illness.

The individual had come into direct contact with a person who already contracted the novel coronavirus, officials said in a statement. The Lincoln County COVID-19 Task Force announced the second case about 8:07 p.m. on March 26.

Few other details about the individual were released. Officials said patient confidentiality laws as well as safety concerns for the individual and their family played a role in the decision to limit the public dissemination of information.

On Wednesday, officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Lincoln County. They described that patient as an individual in their 70s who had traveled out of state.

Health department staff members have since contacted residents who may have interacted with either individual, officials said.

“If you have not received a call from the health department regarding contact with a case, you are not a considered a close contact,” officials said in a statement.

Residents with questions regarding COVID-19 are urged to call the Lincoln County information hotline at 406-293-6295.

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