BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 806 new COVID-19 cases and eight new deaths in South Dakota Saturday.
Forty-six of the new cases are in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 1,155 total cases (44 new confirmed cases and two new probable cases Saturday): 863 of those people have recovered (17 new), with 290 active cases (up by 29) and two deaths. A total of 5,728 people (81 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Saturday, and 28 people in the county (two new) have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported. Four are currently hospitalized.
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 32,611 (806 new – 770 confirmed plus 36 probable) as of midday Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the statewide cases, 7,768 are classified as active (up by 456 from Friday). As of Saturday, 24,528 people have recovered (342 new), 2,077 people have been hospitalized at some point (33 new), 295 people are currently hospitalized (down by four), and 315 people have died (eight new).
The SDDOH website reports 196,593 people (1,408 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, four women and four men, are being reported in Day, Douglas, Kingsbury, Lincoln (3) and Minnehaha (2) counties. The age ranges of the deceased are one 50-59 years, two 70-79 years and five in the 80-plus years category.
Increases in positive cases Saturday included, but are not limited to, 14 in Beadle County, 97 in Bon Homme, 46 in Brookings, 47 in Brown, 14 in Charles Mix, 12 in Codington, 35 in Davison, 11 in Lawrence, 47 in Lincoln, 180 in Minnehaha, 26 in Oglala Lakota, 36 in Pennington, 11 in Todd, 20 in Turner, 13 in Union and 13 in Yankton.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (8,892), Pennington (3,504), Lincoln (2,141), Brown (1,732) and Codington (1,218).
According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Saturday, 34 students and four faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 128 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Saturday, with 13 of those in campus facilities.
The Brookings School District COVID-19 dashboard reports that the district has seven active cases, as of Saturday: two from Brookings High School, two from Mickelson Middle School, one from Dakota Prairie Elementary and two Medary Elementary.
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.
