PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem warned residents to expect an uptick in COVID-19 cases as mass testing got underway for Smithfield employees this week.
That uptick was seen in today’s COVID-19 update from the South Dakota Department of Health.
Along with the uptick in cases, there were two more deaths reported – both females over the age of 80 in Minnehaha County. The state’s death toll is now 31, with 26 in Minnehaha.
The total number of positive cases reported today was 126, the first triple-digit increase in a week. Minnehaha County saw the bulk of those cases with 101. State Epidemiologist Joshua Clayton, however, says they are not differentiating now many of the new cases are a result of the mass testing event in the county.
Other positive cases reported today include 17 in Brown, 4 in Moody, 2 in Union and one each in Hughes and Lincoln. The Department also today, according to their website, no longer listed a second positive case in Oglala Lakota County it had yesterday. Oglala Lakota County today shows no active cases.
Active cases as a whole are also up to 846 from Wednesday’s 773. Current hospitalizations, however, are down to 70 today from Wednesday’s 72.
There were 572 negative tests performed Wednesday, with 91 out of Pennington County, 25 out of Meade, 13 in Lawrence and 4 in Butte County.
