SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — South Dakota COVID-19 cases have jumped to 165 with 57 recovered.
36 is the largest single-day increase. Nearly a third of the cases are in Minnehaha County.
Minnesota now has 742 coronavirus cases – and another death. That makes 18. 373 have recovered.
Cases are also up in Iowa to 614.
As always, many cases continue to fully recover.
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South Dakota:
Gov. Kristi Noem says she is activating the National Guard to set up temporary hospitals in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The temporary hospitals will add 100 beds in each city as hospitals prepare for a surge of coronavirus patients.
South Dakota health officials continue to report rising numbers of infections, announcing that 36 more people have confirmed infections. The governor says newly released unemployment figures are “alarming.” 6,645 people made new claims for unemployment benefits last week in the state.
The governor has resisted mandating business closures or issuing stay-at-home orders. She argues that it will help sustain some semblance of life and economic activity over the months of coronavirus infections.
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Minnesota:
Many Minnesotans who need treatment for COVID-19 won’t have to share the costs with their health plans.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that six major health plans have agreed to waive copayments and coinsurance requirements for COVID-19 testing and in-network hospitalizations and to grant expanded access to telemedicine services.
Walz also announced that the state will start releasing the names of most long-term care centers hit by outbreaks of the disease. State health officials reported one new COVID-19 death Thursday, raising Minnesota’s total to 18. Confirmed cases continue to rise, with 53 new cases for a total of 742.
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Iowa:
Pressure from medical experts and politicians on the federal and state level is building for a mandatory shelter-in-place order from Gov. Kim Reynolds who rejects such a move as unnecessary.
The state is reporting 66 new cases for a total of 614 and two additional deaths, meaning 11 have died.
Eli Percenevich, an epidemiologist physician overseeing infection prevention research at the University of Iowa, says the metrics Reynolds uses to decide her response isn’t staying ahead of the growth of infections and deaths.
He joins Iowa Democratic legislative and congressional leaders in calling on Reynolds to issue a stay at home order.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
