STURGIS, S.D. – South Dakota recorded its highest 24-hour new case total ever Thursday as 948 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 probable cases were reported.
Along with the new cases was a new active case high of 9,273 – up 585 from Wednesday.
Also reaching a new record high was the number of hospitalizations as 355 are receiving care for COVID-19. The Sioux Empire continues to see the most hospitalizations with 181 COVID-19 patients using general beds and 45 in the I.C.U. In the Black Hills, there are 82 COVID-19 patients using general beds and 10 in I.C.U. Available hospital beds in the Black Hills total 33.4-percent for general and 16-percent for I.C.U. COVID-19 patients account for 14.7-percent of general hospital beds and just 16-percent of I.C.U. beds.
The number of deaths also spiked today – 14 being reported and sending the state’s death toll to 347. The new deaths were 12 women and two men listed in the 60-69 , 70-79 and 80-plus age ranges. The new deaths included 3 out of Pennington and Minnehaha County, two out of Brookings County and one each in Davison, Gregory, Lawrence, Lyman, Walworth and Tripp.
More than three-fourths of the new cases were East River as West River reported 294 new cases. Pennington County had the most with 93 and Oglala Lakota County had the second most with 58.
In Pennington County, the cumulative total rises to 3,835 and active cases are up 46 to 902. In hard-hit Oglala Lakota County, there are now 710 total cases with active cases up 52 to 357.
Lawrence County added 36 new cases Thursday, sending their total to 746 with 209 active cases. Meade County added 21 new cases today, sending their cumulative total to 847 with 179 active. Active cases are up 30 in Lawrence County and 15 in Meade County.
Butte County saw 13 new cases Thursday, sending their total to 261 with 103 remaining active.
Other new cases across West River include 16 in Todd, 7 in Lyman, 6 each in Gregory and Jackson, 5 each in Custer and Fall River, 4 each in Corson and Mellette, 3 each in Perkins and Haakon, 2 each in Stanley and Tripp and one each in Harding, Dewey and Jones counties.
