COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information

This page will be used to inform residents on local COVID-19 response in Billings County.  For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the North Dakota COVID-19 response site.

Last updated 07/14/2020.

Testing Sites

COVID testing will be conducted throughout southwest ND on a regular basis over the next month. Dickinson and Medora are scheduled (see below). If you plan to be tested, please go to https://testreg.nd.gov and fill out the registration. This will make the testing go more smoothly and quickly.

Medora—Medora Fire Hall 604 E River Rd S

Thursday July 16th—830-1100 200 samples

Thursday July 23rd--830-1100 200 samples

Thursday July 30th --830-1100 200 samples

Thursday August 6--830-1100 200 samples

Dickinson---located at the old Sanford Building Parking lot —938 2nd Ave E

Wednesday—July 15th 9-1130 am 300 samples

Tuesday—July 21st 8-1030am 300 samples

Tuesday—July 28th 8-1030am 300 samples

Tuesday—August 4th 8-1030am 300 samples

Facilities with Restricted Access

The following public facilities have been temporarily restricted to the public.  Offices remain open and employees will be available during regular hours.  Business will be conducted by phone or email only. 
  • Billings County Courthouse - Open with social distancing regulations
  • City of Medora - Open with social distancing regulations

Meetings Changed, Postponed, or Cancelled

The following scheduled public meetings have been affected by the COVID-19 recommendations:
  • -

Billings County Department Notices

Information concerning individual county departments response to COVID-19 will be posted here.
  • Auditor/Treasurer's Office: 

    Tax payments may be paid by credit card over the phone or mailed.

  • Clerk of Court Office:

     Please contact the Clerk of Court Office at 701-623-4492 for all questions regarding hearings and court calendars.

  • Recorder's Office:

    Appointments only for passports processing, concealed weapon photos or marriage licenses until further notice.

  • Zoning Office:  Meetings are back on schedule again, however, this may change due to changing COVID-19 concerns.

Message from Southwest District Health Unit

There is still a lot of confusion about what happens in the process when a person is declared positive, and then who really is contagious.

Once a person is confirmed positive, Local public health gets a call with only the information of County of residence (Listed on the test form), age and gender. We do not get any other information, but even if we did we could not share that…due to HIPAA. Local Public Health Units , as well as others trained to do case investigation, will then start to get close contacts.

A Close contact is someone that has been within 6 ft of a person for more than 15 minutes. So a person that is a casual contact or perhaps in a building would not be considered a contact.

Only people that are considered closed contacts will be notified, and asked to self-isolate for the 14 days. They are followed by their case investigator every day for 14 days to follow symptoms. They are not considered contagious until they get symptoms, at which time they would be tested. At that time, the process would start over, meaning they would be asked their close contacts, and followed for that 14 days.

A facility would not have to close, if someone was “in their facility, or a person was related to someone that worked there” etc…

AT this time, unless we call you, you are not considered a close contact, and thus not exposed.

Having said all that….reality is that COVID is out there, and everyone needs to continue to take the precautions.

We will persevere….

Sherry L Adams, BA, RS/REHS, CHS V, CDP I

Southwestern District Health Unit

Executive Officer

Office Phone Number 701.483.0171