PIERRE, S.D. (By American News Staff and Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports) – The number of older South Dakotans testing positive for coronavirus continued to accelerate in data released Friday by the South Dakota Department of Health.
The state reported 389 new infections Friday. They included 103 among people older than 60, an age group more susceptible to major complications and mortality from COVID-19. Five additional deaths were reported, moving the number of statewide deaths from the virus to 198.
There have been 18,075 cases confirmed in South Dakota since the start of the pandemic. Of those, 2,809 were active Friday.
Minnehaha County saw 72 newly infected residents Friday. Codington County had 24 new cases and Brown County 22. Hughes County, which has seen a large outbreak at the women’s prison following a mass testing event, had an additional 22 cases. Lincoln County had 19 new confirmations.
With the new cases, Brown County eclipsed 1,000 confirmations and now has 1,001. There were 130 active cases Friday, according to the health department. There have been three deaths and 36 people ever hospitalized.
Codington County now has 662 cases, of which 185 were active Friday. There have been two deaths and 32 people ever hospitalized.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide Friday was stable at 138, representing 6% of the state’s hospital capacity. An additional 190 people were reported as recovered.
The number of active cases increased in all age groups. In people 60-69, they were up 27 to 282 active cases. Twenty-three new active cases were in people 70-79, and 23 were in people 80 or older, the age group with the highest mortality rate from the coronavirus.
The latest deaths were three people 80 or older, one 70-79 and one in the 40-49 age range. Four of the fatalities were in men, one was a woman.
Ten new cases were reported among children 0-9, while 55 were in children and young adults 10-19.
The new cases reported Friday were from a total of 3,688 new tests. Of those, 2,181 were people who had not previously been tested.
Schools alter schedules, classes canceled at Riggs
The virus led to at least three local high school football schedule changes. Roncalli’s Friday game at Sisseton was postponed to Oct. 9. There had been no positive cases, but players on the team were quarantined.
Potter County was to host Timber Lake in Gettysburg Friday, but that game was canceled. Timber Lake will now play at Herreid/Selby Area on Saturday.
The Great Plains Lutheran at Dakota Hills football game was also canceled. Great Plains Lutheran is in Watertown. Dakota Hills is a co-op that includes Wilmot, Waubay and Summit.
Roncalli also postponed its scheduled volleyball match with Warner on Saturday to Monday, Oct. 26, and announced that it’s cross-country runners will not be competing in Saturday’s Clyde Cotton Invitational in Huron.
Riggs High School in Pierre canceled classes and events Friday as dozens of students quarantined. The number of cases in the school Thursday was estimated to be 15.
There were no cases at any of the district’s other schools, and no cases among staff so far, Superintendent Kelly Glodt said.
Region numbers tick up
The number of cases ticked up in many counties across northeastern South Dakota Friday, according to state data.
There were 10 new cases in Grant County for a total of 85 and eight new cases in Walworth County for 84. Six new confirmations in Day County push that total to 58, and there were five new cases in Spink County for a total of 97.
Kingsbury and Marshal counties had three new cases each for totals of 39 and 25, respectively. There were two Friday confirmations in Marshall County and one each in Deuel and Hamlin counties for totals of 33, 75 and 78, respectively.
At Northern State University, there were 14 active cases as of Thursday — 10 students and four faculty members, according to information from the university. There were 47 people in quarantine, 29 of them on campus.
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