Oglala Tribe issues stay-at-home order due to COVID increase

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PINE RIDGE (AP) – Oglala Sioux Tribe officials said Wednesday they're asking all tribal members on the Pine Ridge Reservation to shelter in place following a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The initial stay-at-home order issued earlier this week by Oglala Vice President Alicia Mousseau was approved by the tribal council on a 14-4 vote. The order will remain in place until the tribal council rescinds it.

The order only allows essential business to operate and only at 25% capacity. It includes a mask mandate and limits gatherings to no more than 10 people, the Rapid City Journal reported.

Tribal health officials say there has been 58 new cases of COVID-19 over a two-week period. There are 64 active cases on the reservation.

Mousseau said in a letter that all schools on the reservation will adopt and submit a plan for reopening school buildings and resuming all extracurricular activities, including sports.