SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — South Dakota has reported a jump in the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized, bringing the number to an all-time high during the pandemic.
The Department of Health released a more detailed picture of hospital capacity across the state, breaking the state into four regions and providing COVID-19 patient numbers by facility.
The new numbers revealed that hospitals in the southeastern part of the state, which contains the two largest medical facilities, currently have no open general-care hospital beds.
The hospitals do have about 41% of their Intensive Care Units available.
In the Black Hills region, where Monument Health is located, 14.2-percent of beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients. With over 60-percent of beds being used for other illnesses, Monument reports 25-percent available bed space.
As for I.C.U. beds, 15.9-percent of those are occupied by COVID-19 patients. Only 5-percent of the ventilators are being used by COVID-19 patients.
Black Hills area health officials report they have plenty of ventilators on hand and the available I.C.U. space is at 30.2-percent.
State health officials on Tuesday reported 302 people are currently in the hospital with COVID-19, including 61 in Intensive Care Units.
