Coronavirus Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Residents of Big Horn County:
1. If you have symptoms including a FEVER, COUGH, or SHORTNESS OF BREATH, call your primary care provider. Do NOT go to the doctor without calling first. If you do not have a primary care provider, just call one of the local clinics close to you:Indian Health Service (IHS) has set up a 24-hour hotline to answer COVID-19 calls: 638-3527 to speak to a nurse
Bighorn Valley Health Center: 665-4103, press 3 to speak to nursing staff
Hardin Clinic (SCL-St. Vincent’s): 665-2800, press 0 for receptionist to speak with a medical professional
Big Horn Hospital: 665-2310, talk to front desk
2. If you are SEVERELY ILL and you think you need hospitalization, call 9-1-1 or go to an emergency room. Call the hospital to tell them you are coming to the ER and that you have respiratory symptoms. This way they will be ready for you.
Recent Travelers:
If you recently traveled to a state or county experiencing Covid19 AND you feel sick, stay home and call your doctor or clinic immediately. Do NOT go to the clinic without calling first. Symptoms (fever, cough, and shortness of breath) may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure.
Other Questions:
If you have questions about the response to the coronavirus in our community, you can call:
Big Horn County Public Health (406) 665-8720
Big Horn County DES (406) 665-1731
For the most up-to-date information from the federal and state governments, visit the following websites:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichea…/cdepi/diseases/coronavirusmt
Press inquiries can be directed to the Public Information Officer (406) 679-0572
https://www.facebook.com/BHCMTResponds
Download Emergency Proclamation

Orders and Proclamations
Press Releases
While closed, lodging establishments may provide lodging to personnel essential to the people of Big Horn County, including medical, law enforcement, mortuary, sanitation, child care, retail, including grocery stores, gas stations, and convenience stores, and take-out restaurant workers.
“We support our Public Health Officer in the need to protect the citizens of Big Horn County and beyond during this pandemic. We each need to take the risks seriously and protect ourselves and one another,” said George Real Bird III, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners for Big Horn County. “While this is a difficult decision, continuing business as usual endangers the lives of our community and beyond.”
Under the Order, the following places are closed to ingress, egress, use, and occupancy by members of the public:
- Restaurants, cafes, coffeehouses, and other similar establishments offering food or beverage for on-premises consumption.
- Alcoholic beverage service businesses, including bars and other establishments offering alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.
- Casinos
- Establishments that provide “full-service experience” including fishing/hunting lodges, resorts, and AirBNB/Home Away/VRBO facilities.
The places subject to this order are permitted and encouraged to offer food and beverage using delivery service, window service, walk-up service, drive-through service, or drive-up service, and to use precautions in doing so to mitigate the potential transmission of COVID-19, including social distancing.
SARS CoV 2 the virus that causes coronavirus 19 disease (COVID-19)
- Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
- Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly inhaled into the lungs.
- It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
- People are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic (the sickest).
- Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
Prevention
1. Clean your hands often
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Put distance between yourself and other people if COVID-19 is spreading in your community. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
- Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
- Throw used tissues in the trash.
- Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- If you are sick: You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then you should do your best to cover your coughs and sneezes, and people who are caring for you should wear a facemask if they enter your room.
- If you are NOT sick:You do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers.
- Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
- If surfaces are dirty, clean them. Use detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
- Diluting your household bleach. To make a bleach solution, mix:
- 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water, OR
- 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
- Alcohol solutions.
- Ensure solution has at least 60% alcohol.
- Other common EPA-registered household disinfectants.
- Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens icon claims are expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a facemask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a facemask). Facemasks may be in short supply and they should be saved for caregivers.
What to do if you think you have COVID-19 (symptoms and testing)
COVID-19 in Montana
Travel
Work & School
- Employment Work with your employer to see if there are ways to work remotely or if they can provide other accommodation.
- School Follow the recommendations of the school. Practice preventative measures such as social distancing and hand washing.
- Everyday activities and events Use your judgment and assess your risk. Use online platforms and methods when possible to conduct personal business. Practice social distancing, proper hand washing, and reconsider attending functions with large groups of people. Stay connected with your friends, family, and neighbors for assistance.
- Review your employee illness policy to ensure that employees can stay home when sick to take care of themselves and prevent spreading illness to coworkers, customers, and clients. Ask employees to stay home if they have coughing, fever, or shortness of breath. If your policy requires a note from a medical professional, we encourage you to temporarily suspend the policy.
- Ensure that employees have a way to wash hands with soap and water at the workplace. Encourage employees to wash their hands frequently throughout the day.
- Increase cleaning and disinfection of shared areas and commonly touched surfaces, including customer areas. Many standard household disinfectants will work. Check to see if they are effective against CoV-2 or SARS-like viruses. There is also a list of EPA-registered disinfectants that will work.
- Think about essential staffing needed to continue operations in case you do have employees who call in sick.
- Think about how you can continue to serve customers and clients using online methods.
- Reconsider all non-essential travel.
- Provide employees, especially those who are high-risk, ways to telecommute or provide other reasonable accommodation.