WATERTOWN, S.D. (KWAT) — Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown has resumed doing elective surgeries after suspending them last month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CEO K.C. DeBoer talked about the developments.

The absence of doing elective procedures led some hospitals to lay off staff, but not Prairie Lakes.

He says returning to a “new normal” at the hospital will be a phased-in approach.

DeBoer says you can expect those restrictions to remain in place for awhile.

DeBoer says Prairie Lakes Hospital has treated a patient or patients for the COVID-19 virus. He wouldn’t say how many, but the number is small.