RiverStone Health

Riverstone Health will be offering free COVID-19 vaccinations from 5:30 to 7 pm Saturday at Dehler Park.

A $20,000 gift was made to the RiverStone Health Foundation to "incentivize vaccinations in Yellowstone County," and beginning this Thursday (5/13), $50 will be given to the first 400 residents who "get a dose."

Nearly 128,000 residents will be eligible to receive a vaccine, according to the press release, and appointments for this weeks vaccine clinic at MetraPark are now open for tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday.

To assist those who are traveling to certain destinations, and need to meet the 72-hour deadline for a negative COVID-19 test, RiverStone Health announced they have begun offering tests for travelers.

According to the survey, a "great majority" of residents around Billings "definitely or probably plan" to receive the vaccine.

RiverStone Health is encouraging all residents to take the 5-minute survey, which they say will help in the planning of vaccine distribution.

The Center for Disease Control has already recommended that Americans avoid traveling for Thanksgiving, and any in-person celebrating should only be done "at home with the people you live with."

But, according to the press release, Felton said that more restrictions could still be implemented if the COVID-19 infections begin to increase.

RiverStone Health released the indicators that school officials, and county public health officials will be using, to determine when schools should suspend in-person instruction.

No fans, physically distanced cheer squads, and emptying "spit valves" will be forbidden. Those are some of the restrictions that were outlined today in a plan for Yellowstone County High School and Middle School athletic events and activities.

RiverStone Health offers no-cost school immunizations every year. However, due to a backlog of COVID-19 case investigations, staff that normally would be handling school shots have been temporarily reassigned to help with COVID-19. The Immunization Clinic will resume Monday 7/27.

A total of 237 people were tested today. Because of staffing capacity, only 175 tests will be available each day at the testing site.