HELENA — Lewis and Clark Public Health warns anyone who attended the Let Freedom Ring concert on October 3rd to follow public health guidelines and closely monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19.
Based on case investigations, Public Health officials have epidemiologically linked some of the recent cases of the disease in the county to individuals who attended the concert.
Anyone who attended the concert, or is a direct contact of someone who attended, should:
• Monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19, which could include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Stay home and isolate themselves from others if they are sick with any symptoms.
• Contact their medical provider immediately if they show symptoms of COVID-19 to determine next steps, including testing.
LCPH urges anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to disclose their concert attendance to LCPH during the case investigation process. The information collected during an investigation is confidential and is used to better understand and track the origin of cases in the community.
“Gatherings of this nature, and at this time, can quickly turn into super-spreader events,” said Drenda Niemann, Health Officer for Lewis and Clark Public Health. “Right now, the focus isn’t on whether the event was the right or wrong thing to do, we simply need to quickly identify cases and their close contacts if we are to have a chance at containing disease and preventing an outbreak.”
Individuals showing any of the following signs or symptoms should seek emergency medical care immediately: trouble breathing, persistent pressure or pain in the chest, new confusion, inability to wake or stay awake, or bluish lips or face coloring.
For the most current available data on local COVID-19 cases, view theLocal COVID-19 Decision Making Dashboard.
