BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 876 new COVID-19 cases and three new deaths in South Dakota Wednesday.
Twenty-six of the new cases are in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 1,051 total cases (26 new confirmed cases Wednesday): 823 of those people have recovered (10 new), with 226 active cases (up by 16) and two deaths. A total of 5,473 people (nine new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Wednesday, and 21 people in the county (one new) have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.
Brookings County remains in the “substantial” community spread category.
The state Department of Health data includes confirmed COVID-19 cases via traditional RT-PCR testing, plus probable cases based on rapid antigen testing, which detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Probable cases are investigated and handled in the same way as confirmed cases, DOH officials said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota rose to 30,215 (876 new – 813 confirmed plus 63 probable) as of midday Wednesday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the statewide cases, 6,604 are classified as active (up by 560 from Tuesday). As of Wednesday, 23,320 people have recovered (313 new), 1,963 people have been hospitalized at some point (52 new), 303 people are currently hospitalized (up by one), and 291 people have died (three new).
The SDDOH website reports 192,106 people (1,043 new) have tested negative in South Dakota.
Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.
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.
The new deaths, one woman and two men, are being reported in Codington, Douglas and Pennington counties. The age ranges of the deceased are one 70-79 years and two in the 80-plus years category.
Increases in positive cases Wednesday included, but are not limited to, 33 in Beadle County, 15 in Bon Homme, 26 in Brookings, 33 in Brown, 13 in Clay, 28 in Codington, 10 in Custer, 30 in Davison, 10 in Dewey, 11 in Hughes, 10 in Lake, 79 in Lincoln, 12 in Meade, 208 in Minnehaha, 15 in Oglala Lakota, 85 in Pennington, 23 in Todd, 21 in Turner, 13 in Union and 18 in Yankton.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (8,397), Pennington (3,292), Lincoln (1,976), Brown (1,626) and Codington (1,151).
According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Wednesday, 27 students and five faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 105 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Wednesday, with seven of those in campus facilities.
The Brookings School District COVID-19 dashboard reports that the district has seven active cases, as of Wednesday: two from Brookings High School, three from Dakota Prairie Elementary, one from Hillcrest Elementary and one from Medary Elementary.
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.
