PIERRE, S.D. (By Lisa Kaczke Sioux Falls Argus Leader) – Three more people have died of the coronavirus in South Dakota, and the number of confirmed cases in the state increased by 94 on Thursday.
South Dakota now has a total of 101 COVID-19 deaths, according to the South Dakota Department of Health.
The three deaths were men, two of whom were in the 60-69 age category and one was in the 80-plus age category. One was a Pennington County resident, one was a Todd County resident and one was a Yankton County resident, according to the health department.
South Dakota has a total of 7,336 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday. That doesn’t include people who show symptoms or are asymptomatic but are not tested. A total of 1,084 test results were reported on Thursday, and the positive rate was 8.7%.
The state has 904 active COVID-19 cases, according to the health department. Recoveries statewide increased to 6,280. The state says 718 total people have been hospitalized during the pandemic and 61 are currently hospitalized. There have been 79,974 negative tests.
Coronavirus patients are occupying 2% of staffed hospital beds in the state while 51% of hospital beds are available, according to the health department. COVID-19 patients are occupying 5% of intensive care unit beds, and 28% of ICU beds are available. Seven percent of ventilators are being used by coronavirus patients while 79% of the state’s ventilator capacity is available.
County case increases
Two more cases were confirmed in Brown County on Thursday for a total of 352, of which 18 are active. There have been two deaths and 18 people ever hospitalized. There have been 2,358 negative tests.
Codington County increased by four cases on Thursday for a total of 90. Twenty-six are active, there have been no deaths and six people have ever been hospitalized. There have been 2,075 negative tests.
Cases in Minnehaha County increased by 17 to a total of 3,723, and Lincoln County’s cases increased by five to a total of 381 cases, according to the health department. Of the cases, 3,431 have recovered in Minnehaha County and 337 cases have recovered in Lincoln County.
Dewey County had an increase of 15 cases to a total of 27 cases and Ziebach County increased by one case to two total cases, which Cheyenne River Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier had announced on Tuesday night.
Pennington County’s cases increased by 10 to 616 total cases on Thursday. Oglala Lakota, Buffalo and Lyman counties had five new cases each on for a total of 108 cases in Oglala Lakota, 94 in Buffalo and 80 in Lyman, according to the health department.
Brule County increased by three cases to a total of 33, according to the health department.
Other counties whose cases increased by two each were Beadle County for 551 total, Union County for 140 total, Clay County for 92 total, Hughes County for 68 total, Todd County for 61 total and Grant County for 16 total, according to the health department.