54 new COVID-19 cases in Brookings Co. Saturday, Nov. 7

13 new COVID-19 deaths, 1,337 new cases in South Dakota Saturday

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BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 13 new COVID-19 deaths and 1,337 new cases in South Dakota Saturday.

Fifty-four of the new cases are in Brookings County.

Brookings County cases have risen to 1,729 total cases (52 new confirmed and two new probable): 1,314 of those people have recovered (14 new), with 406 active cases (up by 40) and nine deaths (no change). A total of 6,881 people (42 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Saturday, and 58 people in the county (three new) have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.

There are eight COVID-19 occupied hospital beds and two COVID-19 occupied ICU beds at the Brookings Hospital, the DOH website reported Saturday.

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 53,976 (1,337 new – 1,095 confirmed plus 242 probable) as of midday Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

Of the statewide cases, 15,050 are classified as active (up by 624 from Friday). As of Saturday, 38,403 people have recovered (700 new), 3,108 people have been hospitalized at some point (85 new), 515 people are currently hospitalized (up by 22), and 523 people have died (13 new).

The SDDOH website reports 220,707 people (1,156 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, eight women and five men, are being reported in Brown, Davison, Grant, Lawrence, Lincoln, Oglala Lakota, Roberts, Spink (2), Todd (2) and Turner (2) counties. The age ranges of the deceased are one 30-39 years, one 50-59 years, one 60-69 years, two 70-79 years and eight in the 80-plus years category.

Increases in positive cases Saturday included, but are not limited to, 49 in Beadle County, 54 in Brookings, 57 in Brown, 45 in Codington, 56 in Davison, 30 in Dewey, 31in Hughes, 42 in Lawrence, 57 in Lincoln, 27 in Meade, 295 in Minnehaha, 21 in Oglala Lakota, 164 in Pennington, 24 in Union and 22 in Yankton.

The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (14,116), Pennington (5,639), Lincoln (3,598), Brown (2,501) and Codington (1,928).

According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Saturday, 45 students and five faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 133 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Saturday, with eight of those in campus facilities.

The Brookings School District COVID-19 dashboard reports that the district has eight active cases, as of Friday: three from Brookings High School, three from Mickelson Middle School, one from Camelot Intermediate School and one from Medary Elementary.

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 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.