SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota health officials said Wednesday they expect to receive more doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks, after President Biden’s pledge to deliver more medicine to states.
The state should start to receive an additional 1,700 doses, which would up the weekly number of doses to about 12,800, state Department of Health secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon said.
State epidemiologist Joshua Clayton said 117,725 vaccine doses have been sent to the state so far, including everything that was “just recently received.”
The latest figures show that about 82,000 doses had been administered and just over 60,000 people had received at least one dose. About 24,000 people have received both shots, officials said.
Health officials on Wednesday reported 34 new deaths due to the coronavirus, following back-to-back days of zero fatalities. There have been 1,739 deaths since the start of the pandemic.
The update showed 230 positive virus tests in the last day, increasing the total number of cases of 107,608. Hospitalizations, which fell by nine on Tuesday, were back up nine on Wednesday, to 161.
For most people, the new 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 and death.
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