Four more coronavirus deaths reported in South Dakota

Lisa Kaczke
Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Four more people have died of the coronavirus in South Dakota, and the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state increased by 42 on Thursday.

South Dakota has a total of 115 COVID-19 deaths, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. 

Two men and two women died of the coronavirus. One was a Minnehaha County resident, one was an Oglala Lakota County resident, one was a Todd County resident and one was a Union County resident. One person who died was in the 30-39 age range, two were in the 60-69 age range and one was in the 80+ age range, according to the health department.

South Dakota has a total of 7,694 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, according to the state health department. That doesn't include people who show symptoms or are asymptomatic but are not tested.

A total of 493 test results were reported on Thursday and the positive rate for coronavirus tests on Thursday was 8.5%. The health department had a connectivity problem when inputting test results into its system and state epidemiologist Josh Clayton said he anticipates the number of tests will increase Friday.

The state has 842 active COVID-19 cases, according to the state health department. Recoveries statewide increased to 6,737. The state health department says 757 total people have been hospitalized during the pandemic, and 61 are currently hospitalized.

Coronavirus patients are occupying 2% of staffed hospital beds in the state while 54% of hospital beds are available, according to the state health department. Coronavirus patients are occupying 4% of intensive care unit beds, and 31% of ICU beds are available. Five percent of ventilators are being used by coronavirus patients while 80% of the state's ventilator capacity is available.

The Trump administration has directed hospitals to report coronavirus patient data to a database with the U.S. Health and Human Services Department instead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is overseen by HHS. South Dakota Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon said most hospitals in the state were already using the HHS system and state health officials are helping the remaining hospitals switch from the CDC system to the HHS system. She said she doesn't anticipate a change in data reported to the state, especially the number of patients hospitalized or using ventilators, due to the change at the federal level.

A new coronavirus cluster was reported by health officials on Thursday. Avantara St. Cloud, a nursing home in Rapid City, has 40 staff and residents who have tested positive, according to Clayton. 

No coronavirus cases have been reported as connected to the July 3 Mount Rushmore fireworks, according to Clayton. If an out-of-state attendee tested positive for the coronavirus, the South Dakota Department of Health would have been notified through the process to determine the person's close contacts.

Some retail businesses have started mandating that customers wear masks. Malsam-Rysdon said the state health department will follow the CDC's recommendation on masks and encourage people to wear masks in certain situations. She said Gov. Kristi Noem doesn't support a government mandate to wear a mask, but she understands the right for businesses to require that.

County case increases

Corson, Hutchinson and Lake counties have been elevated to having substantial community spread of the coronavirus. Butte County has been elevated to minimal to moderate community spread. Hyde and Sanborn counties have been lowered to having no community spread, according to Clayton.

Cases in Minnehaha County increased by six to a total of 3,802, and Lincoln County's cases increased by one to a total of 405 cases, according to the state health department. Of the cases, 3,519 have recovered in Minnehaha County and 363 cases have recovered in Lincoln County. Minnehaha's death toll is 61 and Lincoln's death toll is one.

Pennington, Oglala and Meade counties each had an increase of four cases. There are 679 cases in Pennington, 122 cases in Oglala Lakota and 58 cases in Meade, according to the health department.

Cases in Buffalo County increased by three to 89 total cases.