STURGIS, S.D. – Hospital capacity is starting to trend to dangerous levels as a spike in the number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 was reported Tuesday.
In their daily report, state health officials reported the number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 reached 480 Tuesday – up 78 from Monday’s 402.
There were 1,004 new cases Tuesday, sending the active caseload up 42 to 13,367. Eight new deaths were also reported today, sending the state’s death toll to 446.
Six of the new deaths were women, two were men and the age ranges were 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80-plus. Four deaths were in Minnehaha County, one in Lincoln, one in Brookings, one in Lawrence and one in Dewey.
Eastern South Dakota continues to see the largest influx of cases as West River counties reported 264 of the 1,004 new cases today.
Pennington and Oglala Lakota County remain the hardest hit West River.
Pennington County added 101 new cases today and Oglala Lakota County added another 26. Pennington has 1,243 cases that remain active while Oglala Lakota has 452.
Lawrence County added 45 new cases today and their active cases now outpace neighboring Meade County with 357. Meade County added 24 new cases today and the active caseload is 215.
Butte County reported 15 new cases Tuesday, sending the active number of cases up 2 to 184.
Other new cases West River include 15 in Todd, 8 in Custer, 4 each in Jackson, Mellette, Tripp and Gregory, 3 in Fall River, 2 each in Harding, Perkins, Dewey and Lyman and one each in Ziebach, Jones and Bennett counties.
