On February 12, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte lifted the state's mask mandate, even though there were public health officials who said "the state's vaccination rate is still too low to lift the masking requirement," according to NBCMontana. Now the governor has Covid-19.
When Gianforte lifted the mask mandate, only 4% of Montana's population had been fully vaccinated. But he thought that was sufficient enough, and in part of a Feb. 12 statement he said, "Individual responsibility remains Montana's best tool to combat the spread of COVID-19. Montanans are encouraged to wear masks and should follow the best industry practices adopted by any business they visit to slow the spread of the virus." Apparently he himself needed more tools than just "individual responsibility."
Although Gianforte was vaccinated, he waited seven weeks after lifting the mask mandate – just a few days before finding out he had Covid – before receiving the Covid shot.
From AP:
Gianforte plans to isolate for 10 days on the advice of his doctor and public health guidance. He also has notified all of the people with whom he has had close contact. All of the governor's in-person events have been canceled, and he plans to work from his home in Bozeman.
