SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota reported 83 new COVID-19 infections and one new death on Tuesday amid an uptick in cases in recent weeks.
Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by about 17, an increase of 21%. While 68 people are currently hospitalized for COVID-19, about half of the hospital beds in the state are currently available, according to the Department of Health. Roughly a third of ICU beds are available statewide.
The most recent person to die from COVID-19 was a woman over the age of 79 from Lake County, according to data from the Department of Health.
Over the course of the pandemic, 10,443 people have tested positive for COVID-19. About 87% of those people have recovered, but 154 have died and 1,163 have active infections.
While Gov. Kristi Noem has discouraged requirements to wear masks, the mayor of the state’s largest city said he would consider a mask mandate if hospitalizations rise, the Argus Leader reported. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken said that if each of the city’s two largest hospitals have over 40 COVID-19 patients, he felt the city would have to step up its response to the pandemic.
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