SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Minnehaha County recorded an another 131 positive cases of COVID-19 in the Thursday report issued by the South Dakota Department of Health – bringing the total now in that county to 1,065 – that is more than three-fourths of the statewide total which is now 1,311.
Health officials say there were 143 total statewide positive cases reported overnight, with 6 being reported in Lincoln County and an additional case was recorded in Pennington County – bringing their total now to 10 cumulative. Other counties reporting an additional case were Hamlin, Jerauld, Lake, Moody and Yankton.
There was also another death reported. The health department couldn’t comment specifics on the death, other than to say it was a male from Minnehaha County. There is a Facebook post from a family member of a man who works at Smithfield Foods that says he died of COVID-19.
State Epidemiologist Joshua Clayton says the Smithfield Plant again saw another large increase in cases – 80 of the 131 reported Thursday were tied to the plant.
Dr. Clayton says there 44 people recovered from the virus in the latest report and there were 560 new negative tests.
