BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 98 new positive COVID-19 cases and three new deaths in South Dakota Friday.
One of the new cases is in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 128 total positive cases (one new Friday): 109 of those people have recovered, with 18 active cases and one death. A total of 2,627 people have tested negative in Brookings County as of Friday, 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 9,371 as of midday Friday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the 9,371 statewide cases, 983 are classified as active (down by four from Thursday). As of Friday, 8,244 people have recovered (99 new), 866 people have been hospitalized at some point (five new), 47 people are currently hospitalized (up by three), and 144 people have died.
Officials say 109,356 people (1,055 new) have tested negative in South Dakota.
The new deaths, one woman and two men, are being reported in Minnehaha (2) and Todd (1) counties. The age ranges of the deceased are 20-29 years, 70-79 years, and 80-plus years old.
Increases in positive cases Friday included, but are not limited to, six in Brown County, five in Codington, three in Custer, six in Lawrence, seven in Lincoln, five in Meade, 20 in Minnehaha, 12 in Pennington, six in Yankton and 23 in Ziebach.
There was also a decrease reported in Dewey County Friday, of 15 cases, which is usually an indication that cases have been reassigned to a different county.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (4,349), Pennington (875), Lincoln (609), Beadle (587) and Brown (428).
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.
