BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 389 new COVID-19 cases and five new deaths in South Dakota Friday.
Ten of the new cases are in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 632 total positive cases (10 new Friday): 540 of those people have recovered (five new), with 90 active cases (up by five) and two deaths. A total of 4,130 people (52 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Friday, and nine people in the county have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.
Brookings County remains in the “substantial” community spread category.
The number of South Dakotans who have tested positive for COVID-19 rose to 18,075 (389 new) as of midday Friday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the statewide cases, 2,809 are classified as active (up by 194 from Thursday). As of Friday, 15,068 people have recovered (190 new), 1,246 people have been hospitalized at some point (15 new), 144 people are currently hospitalized (up by six), and 198 people have died (five new).
Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.
The SDDOH website reports 155,629 people have tested negative (1,792 new) in South Dakota.
The new deaths, one woman and four men, are being reported in Fall River, Hutchinson, Meade and Turner (2) counties. The age ranges of the deceased are one 40-49 years, one 70-79 years, and three in the 80-plus years category.
The deaths reported on the SDDOH data dashboard are deaths for which COVID-19 is listed as a cause or contributing factor on the certified death record, Communications Director Derrick Haskins said.
South Dakota's test positivity rate for the last week is at 10%, and 10.8% for the last two weeks, according to the SDDOH website. Brookings County’s test positivity rate for the last week is at 14.2%, and 17.5% for the last two weeks.
Increases in positive cases Friday included, but are not limited to, 12 in Beadle County, 12 in Bennett, 10 in Brookings, 22 in Brown, 24 in Codington, 11 in Davison, 10 in Grant, 22 in Hughes, 19 in Lincoln, 72 in Minnehaha, 29 in Pennington, 16 in Turner and 12 in Yankton.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (6,105), Pennington (1,926), Lincoln (1,169), Brown (1,001) and Beadle (691).
According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Friday, 22 students and five faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 123 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Friday, with 25 of those in campus facilities.
The state Department of Health generally does not identify the specific communities within a county where cases are located, or a business, event or setting that may be the source of a surge to protect patient confidentiality.
Only a few exceptions are made, such as clusters when there are 40 or more cases identified in a single workplace/setting. The DOH will also issue a public health notice when an employee or patron of a business/event is unable to identify persons they were in close contact with (15 or more minutes within 6 feet or less) while able to transmit the virus.
The actual number of infections in the state is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
The figures released by the state Department of Health do not include individuals who are asymptomatic or have symptoms of the coronavirus but are not being tested.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Learn more at www.covid.sd.gov.
