PIERRE — South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) officials released their information via media call as state websites were down for much of the morning on Thursday. The state saw its largest day of testing ever, with nearly 4,000 total tests reported.

There were 87 new positive tests and 3,876 new negative tests reported in the state Thursday along with two new deaths. The new results bring the state’s totals to 5,247 total positive tests, 47,376 negative tests, 4,163 total recovered, and 64 deaths. That leaves 1,020 active COVID-19 cases within the state.

Beadle County had nearly double the amount of positive cases of the next-highest reporting county, with 33 new positive cases (Pennington reported 18). That brings the total positive tests run in the county to 341.

Regionally, only Jerauld county also had a positive test, reporting one additional positive to bring its total to 39 total positive tests.

In questioning, state epidemiologist Dr. Josh Clayton released that Link Snacks, Inc. (LSI) now reported 99 positive cases among employees at the Alpena plant. Of those 99 positive, 47 have been reported as recovered.

He did emphasize that recovered cases have been traced by DOH officials and that once declared recovered, those persons are able to move within the community without isolation. DOH and the Huron Police Department have received calls regarding persons who were deemed recovered due to previously testing positive and concerned citizens that saw those recovered individuals in the community.

Secretary Malsam-Rysdon did state that while some nursing home testing could be attributed to the rise in Beadle County cases, relaxing of social distancing and the outbreak at LSI are the primary reasons for the spike in numbers, from DOH’s perspective.