South Dakota's COVID-19 death toll now stands at 2,145. Active cases fell 53 to 7,325, meaning recoveries continue to outpace newly reported cases. That comparison is a rough measure of the surge, but because South Dakota has a high test positivity rate, there are likely many cases that are going un…
South Dakota's COVID-19 death toll now stands at 2,142. However, the COVID-19 surge in the state appears to have plateaued. Active cases dropped 73 to reach a two-week low, at 7,388, indicating recoveries are outpacing newly reported cases.
The high number of new positive cases reported on Wednesday, Sept. 15, is partially due to a reporting backlog caused by a small technology issue, the North Dakota Department of Health said.
One in 422 South Dakotans has died due to COVID-19, based on 2020 census data, higher than the national average of about one out of every 500 Americans. South Dakota has the 10th highest COVID-19 death rate per capita, behind Alabama and Arkansas, according to tracking by the New York Times.
Hospitals officials warn that the worsening outbreak could overwhelm the state's health care system if more residents don't buy into vaccination, mask-wearing and social distancing.
North Dakota's active cases rose 207 over the previous day as infections climb at a steep rate. Since last Friday, the state's active infections have rocketed up 865, a 42% increase, and more than 2,600 people have tested positive.
The latest surge driven by the highly contagious delta variant of COVID-19 has put the state on a trajectory for a harsh fall. North Dakota has close to 1,000 more active cases now than it did at the same time last year.
Hospitals continue to operate at critical capacity levels amid staffing shortages and a surge in the delta variant. Active virus cases in North Dakota dropped Monday following low weekend testing numbers.
Active virus cases in North Dakota dropped on a low testing day Monday. Hospitals continue to operate at critical capacity levels amid staffing shortages and a surge in the delta variant.
