Two more Yellowstone County residents died of COVID-19-related illness Thursday, bringing the countywide total to 304 since the start of the pandemic.
RiverStone Health reported the two women both died in a Billings hospital. One was a woman in her 70s who was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions. The other was a woman in her 40s who vaccinated but had underlying health conditions.
On Friday, Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare had 105 inpatients with COVID-19 illness, including 35 in ICU and 22 who were on ventilators. Ninety-four of the 105 patients hadn’t been vaccinated against COVID-19.
“As we grieve these two pandemic victims and offer condolences to their families, let us do all we can to reduce the risk of more people getting infected,” said John Felton, Yellowstone County health officer and RiverStone Health CEO and president, in a statement. “Vaccination is the fastest, surest and most effective way to reduce risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19.”
RiverStone Health is offering free first and second doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to everyone age 12 and older. The two-dose Moderna vaccine is available to people age 18 and older as is the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Third doses will be given only to immune-compromised people. RiverStone Health has scheduled these free, walk-in clinics:
· Saturday, Sept. 11, noon-4 p.m., North Park, 406 Pride Festival.
· Thursday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., RiverStone Health, 123 S. 27th St., in the four-story building.
To make appointments for first and second vaccine doses with the RiverStone Health Immunization Clinic, call 247-3382. More vaccination information is posted at covid.riverstonehealth.org.