BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 457 new COVID-19 cases and six new deaths in South Dakota Friday.
Twelve of the new cases are in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 731 total positive cases (12 new Friday): 602 of those people have recovered (six new), with 127 active cases (up by six) and two deaths. A total of 4,438 people (76 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Friday, and 11 people in the county have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.
Brookings County remains in the “substantial” community spread category.
The number of South Dakotans who have tested positive for COVID-19 rose to 20,554 (457 new) as of midday Friday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the statewide cases, 3,507 are classified as active (up by 216 from Thursday). As of Friday, 16,831 people have recovered (235 new), 1,400 people have been hospitalized at some point (25 new), 194 people are currently hospitalized (no change), and 216 people have died (six new).
Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.
The SDDOH website reports 163,393 people have tested negative (1,829 new) in South Dakota.
The new deaths, one woman and five men, are being reported in Butte, Douglas, Gregory (2), Meade and Minnehaha counties. The age ranges of the deceased are two 50-59 years, one 70-79 years and three in the 80-plus years category.
The deaths reported on the SDDOH data dashboard are deaths for which COVID-19 is listed as a cause or contributing factor on the certified death record.
Increases in positive cases Friday included, but are not limited to, 20 in Beadle County, 12 in Brookings, 22 in Brown, 10 in Buffalo, 25 in Codington, 19 in Hughes, 32 in Lincoln, 19 in Lyman, 55 in Minnehaha, 56 in Pennington, 10 in Walworth and 11 in Yankton.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (6,508), Pennington (2,198), Lincoln (1,296), Brown (1,124) and Codington (805).
According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Friday, 24 students and two faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 121 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Friday, with 22 of those in campus facilities.
The Brookings School District COVID-19 dashboard, located at https://www.brookings.k12.sd.us/domain/510, reports that the district has five active cases, as of noon Friday: two from Brookings High School, one from Mickelson Middle School and two from Camelot Intermediate School.
The state Department of Health generally does not identify the specific communities within a county where cases are located, or a business, event or setting that may be the source of a surge to protect patient confidentiality.
Only a few exceptions are made, such as clusters when there are 40 or more cases identified in a single workplace/setting. The DOH will also issue a public health notice when an employee or patron of a business/event is unable to identify persons they were in close contact with (15 or more minutes within 6 feet or less) while able to transmit the virus.
The actual number of infections in the state is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
The figures released by the state Department of Health do not include individuals who are asymptomatic or have symptoms of the coronavirus but are not being tested.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
Learn more at www.covid.sd.gov.
