Active COVID-19 cases statewide decrease slightly; area counties remain in high community spread category

The state Department of Health updated information Wednesday regarding COVID-19 cases reported through the holiday weekend.  As of Wednesday, the state reported just less than 61-hundred active cases, with 207 people currently hospitalized with the virus.  A total of 2177 people have died with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.  

As of Wednesday, Lake County reported 41 active COVID-19 cases and remained in the high community spread category.  All area counties remain in the high community spread category as well.  As of Wednesday, Moody County reported 25 active COVID-19 cases, and McCook and Kingsbury counties reported 24 each.  Miner County had ten active cases and Brookings County reported 152.  Statewide, 59-percent of those eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine had completed their vaccination series as of yesterday, while 65-percent had received at least one dose. 

Madison Central School Superintendent Joel Jorgenson reported to the school board on Monday that the district has had thirteen positive cases of COVID-19 since the start of the school year, all of which are recovered.  He said that nine of the cases have been at the Elementary School, two at the Middle School, one at the High School, and one was a district employee not assigned to a school building.  Jorgenson said that the school district’s nurse had run 84 rapid tests for COVID-19 since the start of the school year.