239 new coronavirus cases confirmed in S.D., more than 1,000 active

Sioux Falls Argus Leader

South Dakota health officials confirmed 239 new coronavirus cases Friday morning, the most per day since cases started to be announced in the state.

That brings the state's total to 3,144 cases. Of those, 1,044 are active. No additional deaths were reported.

With 1,179 daily tests run, about 20% of those tested got a positive result.

There have been 247 people in total hospitalized by the disease, with 76 people currently in the hospital. Recoveries are now at 2,069 statewide.

State Health Department numbers do not include those who may have the virus but have not been tested.

Minnehaha County saw an increase of 203 cases, for a total of 2,535 confirmed cases. Lincoln County increased by nine to 180 cases. Brown County also saw an increase of cases to 107. It's not clear how many of the 14 new cases in Brown County are tied to the DemKota Ranch Beef plant.

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The latest numbers include at least some results from a pop-up testing site at Washington High School for Smithfield Foods employees. That site has closed as of Thursday evening, though testing continues for employees and their families at Avera.

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Gov. Kristi Noem and Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon spent two hours Thursday speaking with Smithfield employees, some through the help of interpreters. Spokesman Ian Fury said Friday that questions from employees included:

When they can return to work if they've tested positive but have no symptoms
When they can return to work if they've recovered
Can they get the virus a second time
What resources are available to them.

Fury didn't answer those questions in the release from the governor's office, but he noted that they mirror questions asked daily by the media. Noem did not hold a daily media briefing Friday afternoon.

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State Epidemiologist Josh Clayton couldn't say exactly how many of those new positive cases were tied to the pop-up testing site, though the state Department of Health hopes to have more information next week.

"It’s safe to say that a lot of what we’re seeing is going to be associated with that mass testing event," Clayton said.

About 10% of those at the pop-up testing had symptoms, Clayton said. It's not clear if the positive tests are more from those who had symptoms or did not have symptoms.

The latest numbers also come as Sioux Falls businesses are slated to start reopening after the City Council voted Thursday to ease restrictions on the number of patrons allowed. The Empire Mall is among the businesses planning to reopen Friday.