The prevalence of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has been on a stratospheric rise in South Dakota, leading local community leaders to call for their residents to do more in order to slow the spread.
“Quite honestly, we need this region and each of you to do your part,” Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken said at a press conference on Monday. “We need more. Our schools need you to do more, our hospitals need you to do more, our vulnerable populations need this community, this region to do more.”
He stopped short of calling for a mask mandate, stating that the issue had become too politicized, and was not willing to dedicate resources to enforcing such a measure.
The press conference came on the heels of a letter signed by sixteen mayors of the South Dakota Municipal League, which asked community members to do their part to reduce spread. The letter was signed by the mayors of some of the largest municipalities in South Dakota, including Brandon, Watertown, Brookings, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls.
“The concept of community is more important than ever, and the actions of every community are critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19. Each of us has the opportunity every single day to make the right choices that help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and help save lives,” the letter states.
The numbers are getting serious. Minnehaha County’s active case numbers have more than doubled since September 30, and the state as a whole saw over 10,000 new cases in the first twenty days of the month, far out-stripping prior months.
October has so far been the deadliest month for South Dakota’s population, as more than 100 people died due to COVID as of Tuesday, October 20. Modeling done by Johns Hopkins University did not give very good projections, with over 200 deaths by the end of the month.
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