A press conference was held March 10th with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon of the South Dakota Department of Health. There have been 5 total cases in South Dakota that are presumptive positive at this time and have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing.
The City of Sioux Falls also held a press conference which included Mayor Paul TenHaken, Jill Franken, Sioux Falls Health Director, Dr. Allison Suttle, Chief Medical Officer Sanford Health, and Dr. David Erickson, Chief Medical and Innovation Officer Avera Health.
In both press conference, South Dakota residents were urged to take the following steps to slow the spread of the disease:
- Washing hands often throughout the day, with warm soap and water. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand gel
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
- Get plenty of rest, manage stress, drink fluids and eat nutritious foods
- Keep surfaces clean, including bedside tables, bathroom surfaces and toys for children, by wiping them down with household disinfectant
- Most importantly, if you’re sick, stay home
SDAHO is working closely with the Secretary of Health and the Governor’s office to keep our members abreast of the most current information. We have compiled up-to-date resources for easy access in one place on the SDAHO webpage.
All hospital/post-acute CEO/Administrators: The Department of Health is asking SDAHO to gather your cell phone numbers which will only be used pertaining any needed COVID-19 outreach. If you have not provided your cell phone, please email this to Kallee Rydland.
