Gianforte requests more vaccines

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 2/26/21

Montana’s average daily COVID-19 cases are falling below 200 per day for the first time since September, said Gov. Greg Gianforte at a Feb. 25 press conference. The new governor praised healthcare workers across the state for being responsible for Montana’s 93 percent vaccination dose rate. “This didn’t happen by accident,” Gianforte said. “This is the product of hard work Gen. Quinn, the staff at DPHHS, public health officials, doctors, nurses, volunteers and many more.” There’s a possibility, he added, that Montana will start receiving the new Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccine in the coming weeks after it passes emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration. Gianforte also spoke of the hardships businesses have faced over the year and announced the passing of two bills meant to aid business owners. The Montana Entrepreneur Magnet Act will offer incentives for those companies just starting out, and the Competes Act cuts the state’s top marginal income-tax rate from 6.9 percent to 6.75 percent.