BROOKINGS – Brookings County has its first COVID-19 related death and four additional positive cases as of Saturday.
The state is reporting 103 new positive COVID-19 cases and four new deaths in South Dakota Saturday.
Brookings County cases have risen to 118 total positive cases, and 107 of those people have recovered, with 10 active cases and one death. A total of 2,501 people have tested negative in Brookings County as of Saturday, 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 8,867 as of midday Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the 8,867 statewide cases, 913 are classified as active (up by 40 from Friday). As of Saturday, 7,820 people have recovered (59 new), 832 people have been hospitalized at some point (eight new), 36 people are currently hospitalized (up by five), and 134 people have died.
Officials say 104,065 people (1,194 new) have tested negative in South Dakota.
The new deaths, one woman and three men, are being reported in Brookings (1), Pennington (2) and Union (1) counties. The age ranges of the deceased are two 70-79 years old and two in the 80-plus years old category.
Increases in positive cases Saturday included, but are not limited to, nine in Brown County, 19 in Lincoln, 39 in Minnehaha, five in Oglala Lakota, seven in Pennington and four in Union.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (4,189), Pennington (818), Beadle (587), Lincoln (561) and Brown (406).
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.
