Earlier this week, we shared a report out of Billings where county health officials are now scaling back on COVID-19 testing. Riverstone Health announced that they would now only be testing symptomatic individuals, instead of also allowing asymptomatic individuals to test.

Yellowstone County isn't alone. The testing changes were also announced in Cascade County, as The Great Falls Tribune reports.

In accordance with new testing priorities from the Montana Public Health Laboratory, health providers in Great Falls are no longer testing asymptomatic people for coronavirus.

Isn't this a nice coincidence. The state ramped up testing for COVID-19. The ramped up testing showed, naturally, more cases. The state then used more testing and more cases to justify continued restrictions on businesses in Montana. Then, the state issued a mandatory mask directive across Montana. And now, due to backlogs at the state lab, they want to reduce testing. Will they soon declare a false victory that the reduced numbers was due to the mask order?

Here's the reaction that I, and several of our callers, had on the radio:

Let's reduce testing so we can claim that the mask order lowered numbers. Kind of like how they claimed victory after the shutdowns, even though the models were updated to show that the hospitals weren't going to be overwhelmed in Montana in the first place.

Kate (@DrKate4Justice) also responded via Twitter:

Exactly. The plan to claim bullock is a hero. Disgusting.

 

By the way, if you are someone who wants to get a COVID-19 test, and you actually want to get timely results- Price Rite Drug on 7th in Bozeman has been approved for extension through August 31st.  Click here to make an appointment. They're reportedly getting test results back in 3-5 days.

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