BROOKINGS – The state is reporting 30 new COVID-19 deaths and 1,387 new cases in South Dakota Wednesday.
One new death and 34 of the new cases are in Brookings County.
Brookings County cases have risen to 2,136 total cases (22 new confirmed and 12 new probable): 1,593 of those people have recovered (15 new), with 529 active cases (up by 18) and 14 deaths (one new). A total of 7,513 people (40 new) have tested negative in Brookings County as of Wednesday, and 71 people in the county (one new) have been hospitalized at some point, the state reported.
There are nine COVID-19 occupied hospital beds and one COVID-19 occupied ICU bed at the Brookings Hospital, the DOH website reported Wednesday.
Brookings County remains in the “substantial” community spread category.
The state Department of Health data includes confirmed COVID-19 cases via traditional RT-PCR testing, plus probable cases based on rapid antigen testing, which detects the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Probable cases are investigated and handled in the same way as confirmed cases, DOH officials said.
The number of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota rose to 68,671 (1,387 new – 1,091 confirmed plus 296 probable) as of midday Wednesday, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
Of the statewide cases, 19,240 are classified as active (up by 616 from Tuesday). As of Wednesday, 48,757 people have recovered (741 new), 3,864 people have been hospitalized at some point (95 new), 593 people are currently hospitalized (up by 11), and 674 people have died (30 new).
The SDDOH website reports 232,302 people (1,227 new) have tested negative in South Dakota.
Current hospitalizations may include out-of-state cases, and total hospitalizations only include South Dakota residents.
The deaths reported on the SDDOH data dashboard are deaths for which COVID-19 is listed as a cause or contributing factor on the certified death record.
The new deaths, 14 women and 16 men, are being reported in Bon Homme, Brookings, Butte, Codington, Custer, Davison (2), Gregory (2), Hughes, Kingsbury (2), Lawrence (4), Lincoln (2), Lyman, Minnehaha (4), Oglala Lakota (4), Pennington, Turner and Union counties. The age ranges of the deceased are two 60-69 years, 11 70-79 years and 17 in the 80-plus years age category.
Increases in positive cases Wednesday included, but are not limited to, 49 in Beadle County, 34 in Brookings, 47 in Brown, 29 in Codington, 62 in Davison, 27 in Hamlin, 30 in Hughes, 35 in Lawrence, 88 in Lincoln, 39 in Meade, 299 in Minnehaha, 35 in Oglala Lakota, 226 in Pennington and 25 in Yankton.
The counties with the highest total case counts are Minnehaha (17,751), Pennington (7,385), Lincoln (4,689), Brown (3,027) and Codington (2,318).
According to the South Dakota State University COVID-19 dashboard, as of noon Wednesday, 35 students and 11 faculty/staff were self-reporting current (active) positive tests. A total of 116 faculty, staff and students were quarantined and isolated as of Wednesday, with five of those in campus facilities.
The Brookings School District COVID-19 dashboard reports that the district has 12 active cases, as of Wednesday: four from Brookings High School, four from Mickelson Middle School, and one each from Camelot Intermediate School, Dakota Prairie Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary and Medary 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 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.
