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Governor Bullock Extends Directives Issued to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
MONTANA – Governor Steve Bullock today extended through April 24 Directives he issued to protect Montanans from COVID-19 by slowing the spread of the virus in Montana. The Directives were set to expire on April 10.
“We know that staying home will help to flatten the curve. For every person we take out of the chain of transmission of this virus, the more likely our health care facilities can handle the capacity to respond, and the more likely we can beat back this virus sooner rather than later,” Governor Bullock said. “We stay at home to ensure that our health care workers and first responders have adequate time to receive the supplies to keep them, their patients, and their families safe. We stay home to protect Montanans in our rural communities and our rural health care workers who face long distances to access care.”
“We also stay home so that we can more quickly rebuild to a thriving economy. It is not a choice between a healthy population and a healthy economy -- the two go hand in hand. Managing this public health crisis now will help to prevent long-term consequences that could upend our economy for a longer duration and with a worse outcome,” continued Governor Bullock.
The extension covers the stay at home order, school closures, on-premises dining and beverage operations, eviction and foreclosure suspensions and the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine for travelers coming into Montana for non-work-related travel.
Today’s Directive extends from April 10 through April 24th the following Directives:
- Closing all non-residential public schools in Montana. Previous Directive issued March 15 and previously extended through April 10.
- Closing certain on-premises dining and beverage businesses while expanding and encouraging delivery, takeout, and drive-up options. Previous Directive issued March 24.
- Extending the stay at home Directive except for certain essential activities, temporarily closing non-essential businesses, provided social distancing requirements, and limited non-essential travel. Previous Directive issued March 26.
- Limiting evictions, foreclosures, and disconnections for the duration of the Stay at Home Directive. Previous Directive issued March 30.
- Requiring a 14-day self-quarantine for individuals arriving in Montana for non-work-related travel. Previous Directive issued March 30, which followed Governor Bullock’s travel advisory on March 19th.
Other Directives issued or actions taken in response to the statewide emergency do not need to be extended as they will stay in effect for the duration of the emergency or even longer. Those actions include: designating childcare facilities as essential businesses, bolstering food security for Montana families, expanding telemedicine services to Medicaid patients, issuing emergency rules to make unemployment benefits accessible to workers laid off due to COVID-19, emergency loans for small businesses through the Small Business Administration, and calling for the census deadline to be extended until at least September 30.
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Governor Bullock Extends Stay-at-Home Order
Governor Bullock also today extended Montana's stay-at-home order an additional two weeks, lasting through April 24, 2020.
The Directive requires all businesses and operations in Montana, except for essential businesses and operations as defined in the directive, to stop all activities within the state.
The Directive also prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or place of residence.
Essential services and businesses will remain operational and open. Businesses deemed essential are required to comply with social distancing guidelines when possible including maintaining six feet of distance, having sanitizing products available, and designating hours of operation specifically for vulnerable populations.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL DIRECTIVE.
Travel FAQ
Is travel allowed? What about for out of state visitors?
All travel should be limited to essential travel and travel for essential activities. People riding on public transit must comply with social distancing to the greatest extent feasible. When individuals need to leave their homes or residences, they should maintain social distancing of at least six feet from any person who is not a member of their immediate household, to the greatest extent possible.
Out of state visitors are not restricted at this time, though everyone in Montana is subject to this order and required to minimize risk of exposure and transmission by limiting travel and activities outside of their homes.
Are road closures in place anywhere in Montana?
What is considered "essential travel?"
Essential Travel includes travel for any of the following purposes:
- Any travel related to the provision of or access to Essential Activities, Essential Businesses and Operations, or Minimum Basic Operations.
- Travel to care for elderly, minors, dependents, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable persons.
- Travel to or from educational institutions for purposes of receiving materials for distance learning, for receiving meals, and any other related services.
- Travel to return to a place of residence from outside the jurisdiction.
- Travel required by law enforcement or court order, including to transport children pursuant to a custody agreement.
- Travel required for non-residents to return to their place of residence outside the State. Individuals are strongly encouraged to verify that their transportation out of the State remains available and functional prior to commencing such travel.
Quarantine for Travelers Arriving in Montana
Do I have to quarantine if I come into the state? What if I’m working?
Yes, visitors from out-of-state are required to self-quarantine for 14 days or for the duration of their visit- whichever is shorter. Individuals coming to the state for work- related travel are exempt from this requirement.
Do people staying at a vacation rental need to self-quarantine?
Yes, any visitor from another state or country traveling to Montana for non-work- related purposes, must self-quarantine for 14-days or the duration of their stay.
Additional Information:
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Everyone who travels to Montana from another state or country for non-work purposes must self-quarantine for 14-days or the duration of their stay, whichever is shorter.
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Any person who has already arrived in Montana from another state or country for a non-work related purpose before the date of this Directive must immediately self- quarantine for the remainder of a 14-day period beginning on the date of their arrival in Montana, or until their departure from Montana—whichever is sooner.
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Exclusions to this directive include public safety, public health, healthcare works, travelers passing through on their way to another destination, and travelers visiting for work purposes.
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If you are self-quarantining you cannot leave for groceries, public outdoor recreation, to go to work or any other activity. You must remain at your place of quarantine for the duration of the quarantine period. Exceptions will only be made in the event of a medical emergency, fire, natural disaster or other act of God preventing the ongoing healthful habitation of a residence.
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The Montana Department of Commerce will advise persons listing hotels, rental properties, or other short-term rentals in Montana—including but not limited to listings on such services as Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway, and related services—to include notice of the mandatory quarantine for travelers from another state or country.
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Directive is mandatory, not optional. It can be enforced by DPHHS, the Attorney General, county attorney or other local authorities at the direction of a county attorney.
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MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
301 S. PARK AVE. | PO BOX 200501 | HELENA, MT 59620-0501
P: 406.841.2700 | F: 406.841.2701 | TDD: 406.841.2702
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