On Wednesday, April 1 the South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH) reported a total of 129 positive COVID-19 cases. The total increased to 11 in Lincoln County. Two deaths have now been reported in the state. Updated numbers are posted online at doh.sd.gov/news/Coronavirus.aspx daily.
SDDOH reminds residents that everyone has a role to play to get ready, stay healthy, and protect yourself, your family, and your community from COVID-19. The goal is to slow the spread of COVID-19 to reduce illness and death, while minimizing disruptions to daily life.
Community mitigation means any actions that individuals, schools, businesses, and health care facilities take to slow the spread of the infection. CDC has developed steps that can be taken based on the level of COVID-19 spread in the community. As more COVID-19 is spread in a community, additional preventive steps can be taken. Community spread is defined as three levels:
None: COVID-19 cases may occur in the community, but there is NO community transmission.
Minimal to Moderate: There is a single case of community-acquired COVID-19 in a county.
Substantial: There are five or more cases of community-acquired COVID-19 in a county or a distinct group of cases in a single area (e.g., city or county).
As of Wednesday, Lincoln and Minnehaha County are considered to have substantial community spread, as there were 11 positive cases of COVID-19 in Lincoln County and 40 positive cases listed in Minnehaha County on Wednesday.
Precautions to avoid the illness include:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
Individuals at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, such as older adults and people who have chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease, should take actions to reduce your risk of exposure.
Create a family plan to prepare for COVID-19 and develop a stay at home kit with food, water, medication, and other necessary items.
The Tea Area School District and Lennox School District will remain closed until May 1, and is educating students remotely.
Cities in Lincoln County and Lincoln County itself, have taken steps to minimize contact with the public. Closing their offices to the public.
The City of Tea passed Resolution 20-03-03, a resolution in support of South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem’s Executive Order 2020-08 last Tuesday that recommends following CDC guidelines, such as limiting businesses to having fewer than 10 patrons at one time. The resolution went into effect immediately, it was published in last week’s newspaper.
The City of Lennox has passed Ordinance 608, an Emergency Ordinance to Address a Public Health Crisis, see story in this week's Lennox Independent page 2.