Though Sioux Falls may see more traffic as businesses and entertainment venues reopen, health officials are reminding residents that the pandemic is far from over.
Public Health Director Jill Franken, Avera McKennan Chief Medical Officer Mike Elliott, and Sanford Vice President Medical Officer Mike Wilde spoke with media Thursday morning to give an update on COVID-19 within the city.
As South Dakota nears its predicted peak time for the virus, state officials have said they remain confident that hospitals have enough beds as cases start to surge toward that point.
The state is "far below" the projections, and "that should be encouraging to everybody," Gov. Kristi Noem said earlier this week.
Sanford Health announced Wednesday it would open its doors to allow patients to have one adult visitor at a time during the ongoing pandemic.
As of Thursday, South Dakota has had 4,250 COVID-19 cases, according to the state health department. That doesn't include people who show symptoms or are asymptomatic but are not tested.
Deaths tied to the coronavirus also climbed to 48.
Minnehaha County continues to see the highest number of cases, with 3,195 confirmed, though the rate of increase has slowed in recent days compared to other counties like Beadle and Brown. Of the overall total of cases confirmed statewide so far, 3,145 have recovered.
Franken says though projections for hospitalization rates are well below initially thought, she is urging residents to continue practicing strong social distancing guidelines and good hygiene.
"This virus is doing unexpected things, so we will continue to closely, closely monitor that data," she said.
Elliot said lives have been altered dramatically because of the pandemic, but he's grateful for the efforts by the community to flatten the curve of the virus and keep the number of hospitalizations below capacity.
Avera, as a system, is also starting to reopen by scheduling things like in-person clinical visits, physical screenings and planned surgeries. It's a decision not made lightly, Elliot said. And it doesn't mean the virus is gone, but this is about transitioning to what it looks like to live with COVID-19's existence, he said.
"We are still in the throes of it," Elliot said. "It is still a risk in this community. It is still so important that people wash their hands, wear their masks and practice social distancing. If you're symptomatic, isolate. We do not want to see this virus spread."
The health and safety of residents in the region are the top priority, and mitigation efforts within Avera facilities will continue, he said.
"It's always been about not exceeding hospital capacity," Wilde said.
The community has stepped up, and that's been humbling, especially when more tragic situations have occurred elsewhere, he said. But Wilde asked residents to continue to be safe and make smart decisions as more individuals choose to go out.
"We're really seeing a need now to get back to routine care," he said.
Sanford will continue to use mitigation efforts as well, he said. That includes screening when anyone enters the hospital, as well as wearing masks.
The city will continue to scale its response to the pandemic appropriately as needed, Franken said.
"We have to continue to work together," she said. "We have to work to be respectful of each other. We have to work to mitigate the spread by doing the things we need to by following the guidance out there."
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'We're still in the throes of it,': Health experts give the latest on COVID-19 in Sioux Falls - Argus Leader
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