BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 31 new COVID-19 deaths and 1,071 new cases in South Dakota Thursday.
Thirty-one of the new cases are in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 2,167 total cases (30 new confirmed and one new probable): 1,662 of those people have recovered (69 new), with 491 active cases (down by 38) and 14 deaths (no change). A total of 7,587 people (74 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Thursday, and 71 people in the county (no change) have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.
There are nine COVID-19 occupied hospital beds and one COVID-19 occupied ICU bed at the Brookings Hospital, the DOH website reported Thursday.
Brookings County remains in the “substantial” community spread category.
The state Department of Health data includes confirmed COVID-19 cases via traditional RT-PCR testing, plus probable cases based on rapid antigen testing, which detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Probable cases are investigated and handled in the same way as confirmed cases, DOH officials said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota rose to 69,742 (1,071 new – 917 confirmed plus 154 probable) as of midday Thursday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the statewide cases, 17,884 are classified as active (down by 1,356 from Wednesday). As of Thursday, 51,153 people have recovered (2,396 new), 3,922 people have been hospitalized at some point (58 new), 578 people are currently hospitalized (down by 15), and 705 people have died (31 new).
The SDDOH website reports 233,527 people (1,225 new) have tested negative in South Dakota.
Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.
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.
The new deaths, 15 women and 16 men, are being reported in Beadle (2), Bon Homme (2), Brown (2), Clay, Codington (3), Faulk (2), Gregory (2), Hughes (4), Lincoln, McCook, Meade, Minnehaha (6), Roberts (2), Sully and Ziebach counties. The age ranges of the deceased are three 50-59 years, six 60-69 years, seven 70-79 years and 15 in the 80-plus years category.
Increases in positive cases Thursday included, but are not limited to, 42 in Beadle, 31 in Brookings, 48 in Brown, 29 in Codington, 31 in Davison, 32 in Lawrence, 86 in Lincoln, 262 in Minnehaha, 84 in Pennington, 35 in Todd, and 27 in Yankton.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (18,013), Pennington (7,469), Lincoln (4,775), Brown (3,075) and Codington (2,347).
According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Thursday, 29 students and 10 faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 111 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Thursday, with 10 of those in campus facilities.
The Brookings School District COVID-19 dashboard reports that the district has 13 active cases, as of Thursday: five from Brookings High School, four from Mickelson Middle School, and one each from Camelot Intermediate School, Dakota Prairie Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary and Medary Elementary.
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 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.
