PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — South Dakota passed 1,100 positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the state health department announced.
Of the 1,168 total cases in the state, 329 have recovered from the virus.
Positive cases increased by 180, up from Tuesday (988). Recoveries went up 68 from Tuesday (261). Active cases increased to 833, up from Tuesday (721).
Deaths remained at six, while total hospitalizations increased by six to 51, up from Tuesday (45).
Negative tests increased to 8,691, up from Tuesday (8,308).
Minnehaha County cases increased by 166 new cases to 934, up from Tuesday (768). There have been 179 recoveries in Minnehaha County. Lincoln County is at 65 cases with 28 recoveries.
According to the state, there are 180 new positive cases of COVID-19. Of those 180 cases, 80 of them are Smithfield employees. That makes a total of 518 positive cases of Smithfield employees.
South Dakota Department of Health officials said in a media briefing that an additional 126 total COVID-19 cases are related to close contact with the 518 Smithfield employee cases.
The average COVID-19 case will have close contact with 10 other people, said Dr. Joshua Clayton of the DOH.
About 10% of those tested in close contact with a postive COVID-19 case have tested positive, Clayton said.
The state requested the Centers for Disease Control occupational health division’s help in responding to the cluster outbreak at Smithfield, said DOH Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon.
