PIERRE, S.D. – The latest COVID-19 report from the Department of Health indicates the deadliest day so far since the pandemic started as 19 deaths were announced Thursday.
That is the highest daily death toll so far and an indication the virus continues to affect the state.
The new deaths were 11 women and eight men with 12 in the 80+ age range, three 70-79, three 60-69 and one 50-59. There were 5 deaths in Turner, 3 in Minnehaha, 2 in Lincoln and one each in Beadle, Brown, Codington, Davison, Deuel, Hughes, Roberts, Sanborn and Walworth counties.
Active cases today surpassed 12,000 for the first time, totaling 12,462, and there was an even 1,000 new cases reported for the latest 24-hour period tally. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 increased by one today to 413.
New cases across West River counties totaled 301 with Pennington and Oglala Lakota County showing the most cases. Pennington County had 85 new cases and Oglala Lakota County recorded 46 new cases. Active cases in both counties increased to 1,180 and 495 respectively.
Meade County added 18 new cases with 212 active and Lawrence County saw 29 new cases with 294 still active.
Butte added 13 new COVID-19 cases and 169 remain active.
Other new cases across West River included 31 in Corson, 16 in Todd, 10 in Lyman, 9 in Gregory, 7 each in Fall River and Tripp, 6 in Haakon, 4 each in Harding, Jackson and Bennett, 3 in Mellette, 2 each in Perkins, Dewey and Ziebach and one in Custer.
