Tester Statement on First Confirmed Montana COVID-19 Cases

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after four cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed in Montana.

“The first cases of COVID-19 in Montana have been confirmed, and I am coordinating closely with the Governor’s office and federal agencies as I monitor the situation,” said Tester. “This outbreak is serious, which is why I’ve introduced legislation to ensure that testing for this disease is free to all Montanans, and why I’ve been holding the Administration accountable to make sure that folks have access to timely information about test kits and proper protection. I encourage everyone to take proper safety measures, and I will continue working to keep Montanans safe.”

U.S. Senator Jon Tester has led the charge on pushing the Trump Administration to make sure that vulnerable Montanans-in particular, seniors, folks with disabilities, and direct care providers-have access to information about test kits, proper protection, and the outbreak of COVID-19. He has introduced legislation to guarantee testing for the virus will be at zero cost, and he is working to extend the IRS tax filing deadline. He has also doubled down on his efforts to press the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) to provide veterans, VA healthcare staff, and Tribes with access to proper resources and information.