RAPID CITY, S.D. – Cases of COVID-19 across the state were back up Wednesday as the State Department of Health reported 264 new cases with 72 of them listed as probable.
Active cases are back up over 25-hundred at 2,522 and the number of people hospitalized is back up over 100 at 104.
No new deaths were reported Wednesday, keeping the state’s death toll at 1,935.
Around the Black Hills area, Pennington County added 9 new cases total Wednesday with one of them listed as a probable case.
Meade County reported 7 new, confirmed cases today, sending their cumulative total since the pandemic began to 2,693.
In Butte County, the total rises to 1,009 as 2 new cases were reported.
Custer County and Oglala Lakota County each reported one new case.
Meanwhile, the South Dakota Department of Health announced the statewide move to Phase 2 of South Dakotas’ COVID-19 vaccination plan beginning Monday, April 5th, 2021. With this move, vaccines will be made available to any state resident, 16 years and older, in addition to any persons from Phase 1 who have not yet chosen to be vaccinated.
“Given our efficient and orderly vaccination distribution efforts and increased allocation, we are delighted to open up Phase 2 starting Monday,” said Kim Malsam-Rysdon, Secretary of Health.
“Without a doubt, this is testament to the hard work and dedication of our frontline workers, our healthcare and pharmacy partners and the staff at the Department of Health. I encourage all South Dakotans to schedule their vaccination today.”
South Dakota remains a leader in vaccination efforts, at both the regional and national level. As of Wednesday, 43% of the state population had received at least 1-dose and over 28% of the state’s population has completed their full series.
