SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Tenhaken and doctors from the Avera and Sanford health systems gave an update on the coronavirus situation in the Sioux Falls area this morning (Monday).
Mayor Tenhaken said he thought we’d see more cases than we have in the metro. He called it a “crazy five months” for the city, the state, the region, the nation, and the world.
Tenhaken says he is sending his children to school and they will be wearing masks. He says wearing a mask should not be considered controversial. However, he also says he has not mandated mask-wearing in Sioux Falls since he says the data does not warrant it. However, TenHaken warned “that could change” if there is another outbreak in the community.
He says the local economy is good, considering.
TenHaken sees tax receipts as flat, which is also considered good.
The Avera and Sanford medical directors Dr. Mike Elliot and Dr. Mike Wilden emphasized getting a flu shot when available to help keep hospitalization rates down.
Wilde says flu shots aren’t always effective but they do help reduce its occurrence. He says people should get a flu shot if medically recommended.
Elliot says the coronavirus is considerably more deadly than the flu. He says the nation has averaged between 12-to-60,000 influenza deaths per year since 2010. In comparison, he says the coronavirus has already taken over 170,000 lives.
The Avera doctor also said people should continue to practice good hygiene, such as mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing. He says the virus can live on flat surfaces, so he suggests sanitizing work surfaces.
Elliot also emphasized while the Sioux Falls area has not been as hard hit as other parts of the country and the world, COVID-19 is not a hoax. There are 22 million cases worldwide and over 750,000 deaths.
“We aren’t through this yet,” Elliot said.
