BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 129 new positive COVID-19 cases and no new deaths in South Dakota Sunday.
Four of the new cases are in Brookings County Sunday. That follows five new cases reported in Brookings County Saturday.
Brookings County cases have risen to 137 total positive cases (four new Sunday): 110 of those people have recovered, with 26 active cases and one death. A total of 2,674 people have tested negative in Brookings County as of Sunday, and four people in the county have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.
Brookings County remains in the “substantial” community spread category. Substantial community spread means there are five-plus cases of community-acquired COVID-19 in a county or a distinct group of cases in a single area.
The number of South Dakotans who have tested positive for COVID-19 rose to 9,605 as of midday Sunday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the 9,605 statewide cases, 1,125 are classified as active (up by 101 from Saturday). As of Sunday, 8,334 people have recovered (27 new), 876 people have been hospitalized at some point (five new), 55 people are currently hospitalized (up by seven), and 146 people have died.
Officials say 111,292 people (782 new) have tested negative in South Dakota.
Increases in positive cases Sunday included, but are not limited to, four in Brookings County, six in Brown, four in Charles Mix, four in Clay, four in Codington, 17 in Lincoln, 46 in Minnehaha and 10 in Pennington.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (4,422), Pennington (891), Lincoln (638), Beadle (593) and Brown (442).
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.
No public health notices regarding specific businesses or events have been issued in Brookings County so far.
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.
