Five new COVID-19 cases in Brookings Co. Monday, Sept. 28

198 new COVID-19 cases in South Dakota Monday; no new deaths

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BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 198 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in South Dakota Monday.

Five of the new cases are in Brookings County.

Brookings County cases have risen to 768 total positive cases (five new Monday): 650 of those people have recovered (10 new), with 116 active cases (down by five) and two deaths. A total of 4,746 people (205 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Monday, and 13 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 21,738 (198 new) as of midday Monday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.

Of the statewide cases, 3,828 are classified as active (up by 38 from Sunday). As of Monday, 17,692 people have recovered (159 new), 1,488 people have been hospitalized at some point (15 new), 209 people are currently hospitalized (down by seven), and 218 people have died (no change).

Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.

The SDDOH website reports 166,606 people have tested negative (643 new) in South Dakota.

Increases in positive cases Monday included, but are not limited to, 10 in Beadle County, 16 in Brown, 10 in Davison, 10 in Lawrence, 41 in Minnehaha and 17 in Pennington.

The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (6,691), Pennington (2,328), Lincoln (1,363), Brown (1,205) and Codington (876).

In its weekly report of COVID-19 cases within South Dakota schools, the DOH said there have been 1,371 total cases – 968 students and 406 staff, with 971 of them recovered – in K-12 schools from Aug. 9-Sept. 26. Active cases are being reported within 199 schools, and 688 South Dakota K-12 schools are not reporting any active cases as of Sept. 26.

The report also says from Aug. 9-Sept. 26, there have been 1,329 total COVID-19 cases – 1,263 students and 66 staff, with 1,179 of them recovered – within South Dakota colleges, universities and technical colleges. All 15 of the state’s colleges, universities, colleges and tech schools are reporting active cases as of Sept. 26.

According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Monday, 12 students and one faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 91 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Monday, with 18 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 eight active cases, as of Monday: four from Brookings High School, one from Mickelson Middle School, two from Camelot Intermediate School and one from Dakota Prairie 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 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.