SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota on Thursday reported 41 people died after contracting COVID-19, one of the highest single-day death tallies this month.
The state has seen a sustained drop in new cases over the last month, with an average of 491 new cases over the last seven days. The Department of Health reported 500 new cases on Thursday.
Increased deaths from the virus often lag behind spikes in cases, and the state’s rate of death per capita has remained among the highest in the country this month. That has pushed the state to the nation’s seventh-highest rate of death per capita over the course of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. A total of 1,430 people have died.
The positivity rate of testing has also remained high, with 16.7% of RT-PCR tests reported on Thursday returning positive. The state’s testing in December has slowed from previous months.
Meanwhile, health officials reported that 9,770 people have received a COVID-19 vaccine as the state distributes over 22,000 doses of the vaccine it received for medical workers. State epidemiologist Josh Clayton said in an email sent to health care providers that the Department of Health has not received any reports of severe allergic reactions to the vaccines.
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