Bullock – No Certain Date for Resuming Normal Business in State

Governor Steve Bullock announced in a statewide press conference in Helena on Tuesday that there is no certain date scheduled for Montanans to go back to work or school due to the continuing growth of the COVID 19 pandemic in the state.

“Think about it,” said Bullock. “It was a month and a day ago when we recorded our first case and the order to close down schools under the statewide directive,” said Bullock. “It’s a dynamic situation and I am in contact with public health officials about the trends we’re seeing in Montana. I know it’s frustrating that we can’t give a date certain when things will get to some degree of normal. The decisions will be guided by science, not politics.”

Bullock said there is a reason why his is not setting a date when to reopen the state for schools and for businesses.

“Picking a date to say right now when everything will expire certainly doesn’t seem sensible when we think about the health of Montanans, and the health of our economy,” he said. “The measures we’ve been taking so far are exactly doing what we’d hoped for, and we are slowing the spread.”

Bullock said that when the state does reopen it won’t be a ready, set, go dynamic.

“Even when we do get to the point when we open things back up, it’ll need to be a measured and calculated and a gradual approach,” he said. “That’s what will really allow our economy to get back on track and we can’t just flip a switch. If we open up again without extensive preparation and looking at the facts that we have in front of us, knowing that this is a changing and dynamic time, we could walk back all of the progress that we’ve made over the past month.”

As of today, Bullock said all closures will remain in effect at least through the original date of April 24.