Governor says positive COVID-19 cases will continue to increase

Governor Kristi Noem announced on Sunday that Beadle County is coming very close to having community spread of COVID-19, or the coronavirus.  In a news conference, Noem said that there were seven additional positive COVID-19 cases in the state, and six of them were in Beadle County. There was one positive case reported now also in Brown County.  

Sunday’s updated numbers put the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Beadle County at ten, and in the state at 21.   

Noem outlined Sunday what she wants Beadle County residents to do going forward. 

Governor Noem said Sunday that the positive Beadle County cases are in three males ages 10-19, 20-29, and 60-69 and females ages 10-19, 20-29, and 50-59.  She said that all the new positive cases are either travel related or because the person had interacted with someone who had already tested positive for the virus.  The Brown County individual who tested positive is a male in his 60’s, and the governor says it is travel related. Noem said that no one who has tested positive so far for COVID-19 has been hospitalized in the state.  

The state ran 58 tests Saturday that then resulted in the seven new positive cases, and the governor said that another 29 would be done on Sunday at the state health lab.  Noem said that more than 700 tests are being processed by other commercial labs and the state will update with results from those when they are available. 

Also on Sunday, Governor Noem provided an update through a Facebook Live video saying that this is only the start of the Coronavirus in South Dakota. 

The governor said that the number of people infected by COVID-19 will continue to increase and there will be community spread at some point.  She said that everyone needs to continue to be vigilant about social distancing, washing their hands, and staying home if they are sick.

More information on the latest numbers and the Governor’s latest news conferences can be found here.