HELENA — Montana has fallen below 500 active cases of COVID-19 for the first time in nearly a year.
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) reports there are 454 active cases in the state.
We looked back through MTN data and found active cases haven't been this low since the 4th of July holiday last year.
By late July, active cases were over 1,000, then over 1,500 by mid-August, and kept rising throughout last summer.
While active case numbers are dropping, the state's vaccine numbers are rising -- although slower than a few months ago.
In Montana's eight most populous counties, Missoula continues to lead the way with almost 60% of the eligible population vaccinated.
Silver Bow County stands at 56%, Lewis and Clark County reports a 53% vaccination rate and Gallatin County stands at 52%.
Both Ravalli and Yellowstone counties record a 44% vaccination rate while Cascade County is at 41%. Flathead County has the lowest vaccination numbers of the state’s most populous counties at 37%.
The latest information on COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates in Montana can be found here.