PIERRE, S.D. – State health officials reported 203 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday and for the first time, the so-called “U.K. Variant” of the virus has been detected in the state.
The findings were verified by an out-of-state commercial laboratory. Thus far, there have been two identified cases of the variant, and neither patient was hospitalized, and both have since recovered.
Health officials say current COVID-19 vaccines have proven safe and effective against this variant.
Active cases of COVID-19 increased by 17 today to 2,131. The number of people hospitalized due to the virus dropped by 6 to 67.
There was one new death reported, sending the state’s death toll to 1,905. The new death was out of Grant County.
Across the Black Hills area, there were 23 confirmed cases and 4 probable.
Pennington County had 8 confirmed cases and 2 probable, Meade County had 7 confirmed cases and one probable, Butte County had 2 confirmed cases, Oglala Lakota County had 4 confirmed cases and one probable and Custer and Fall River County each had one confirmed case.
