HURON — The numbers released in the weekly South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 report indicated increasing infection rates statewide with active cases continuing to increase across the state.
The state added 475 new positive cases, two new deaths, and 281 new recovered cases in Wednesday’s DOH report. Active cases increased to 1,246.
Beadle County added 15 new positive cases and five new recovered cases. Active cases in the county jumped to 19.
The county had not noted 15 new cases in a single week since February 11-18, when 18 new cases were reported. The active cases in the county also jumped over 10 for the first time since March 23.
The Heartland Region added 20 new positive cases and 11 new recovered cases. The seven-county region saw active cases rise to 46.
Case increases have also been seen in the schools, even as the school year begins to come to a close statewide.
The state’s 899 K-12 schools saw the most new cases reported in a week since March 6-12 in the most recent filing to DOH, which covered May 8-14.
K-12 schools reported 13 new positive cases in that time, the most since that March report indicated 16. There were 31 active cases reported among students and staff at K-12 schools.
The 15 colleges, universities, and technical schools within the state reported eight new positive cases May 8-14.
This equals the high number that has not been exceeded since Feb. 13-19, when 18 new cases were reported.
With many of the state’s colleges completing spring term or already completed, numbers were expected to go down significantly, as the previous week had reported just three new positive cases.
State colleges reported 15 active infections on campuses across the state.
