South Dakota health officials reported about 50 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and one new death tied to the coronavirus.
About 1,850 of the state’s 2,212 coronavirus cases have been reported in Minnehaha County, which is South Dakota’s most populous county and the location of a large outbreak at a pork processing plant. More than 1,000 COVID-19 cases have been tied to the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls.
Smithfield closed the plant indefinitely last week because of the outbreak and faced complaints that it wasn’t doing enough to protect its workers.
One new death was reported Sunday, leaving the South Dakota total at 11. Health officials said 64 people were hospitalized.
The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
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