BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 369 new COVID-19 cases and two new deaths in South Dakota Saturday.

Twenty-six of the new cases are in Brookings County.

Brookings County cases have risen to 658 total positive cases (26 new Saturday): 557 of those people have recovered (17 new), with 99 active cases (up by nine) and two deaths. A total of 4,199 people (69 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Saturday, 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 18,444 (369 new) as of midday Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

Of the statewide cases, 2,946 are classified as active (up by 137 from Friday). As of Saturday, 15,298 people have recovered (230 new), 1,268 people have been hospitalized at some point (22 new), 153 people are currently hospitalized (up by nine), and 200 people have died (two new).

Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.

The SDDOH website reports 156,777 people have tested negative (1,148 new) in South Dakota.

The new deaths, one woman and one man, are being reported in Codington and Pennington counties. Both were in their 70s.

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 10.3%, 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 13.3%, and 16% for the last two weeks.

Increases in positive cases Saturday included, but are not limited to, 26 in Brookings County, 16 in Brown, 20 in Codington, 21 in Lincoln, 14 in Meade, 65 in Minnehaha, 34 in Pennington, 16 in Tripp and 10 in Yankton.

The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (6,170), Pennington (1,960), Lincoln (1,190), Brown (1,017) and Beadle (696).

According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Saturday, 22 students and four faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 122 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Saturday, 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.