SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — South Dakota plans to test more than 20,000 people living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities over the next month, according to a release from Gov. Kristi Noem.
Noem said the testing program would start with nursing homes in hard-hit counties, like Minnehaha, before expanding to the rest of the state.
“We expect these next four weeks will be a heavy lift, but it’s important that we try and identify whether the virus has found its way into these vulnerable facilities, so we can work to slow its spread,” the governor said in the release.
Noem said South Dakota also has plans to conduct mass testing on tribal land, starting on the Lake Traverse Reservation. That site will be a joint project with the state of North Dakota.
The governor also said the state will work with essential businesses, like meat packing plants, to conduct testing where it’s needed.
Noem said testing of symptomatic people will not be changed by these projects.
“Testing is not a silver bullet in the fight against COVID-19, but it does help us understand the situation at a given time and isolate those who test positive,” Noem said.
