Monument Health plans increased virus testing

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — One of South Dakota’s largest hospital systems has announced it is planning to increase testing for the coronavirus. The state is seeing a drop in new cases, but a high positivity rate of testing. Monument Health, the largest health care provider in western South Dakota, plans to test more people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19, including running mass testing events.

The Department of Health reported 111 new coronavirus infections and no new deaths after the New Year’s holiday weekend. That’s the lowest daily tally in three months, but the positivity rate of RT-PCR tests was over 16%.