South Dakota hit some COVID-19 milestones today (March 10, 2021)– one year since the virus was first diagnosed in the state, over one million tests performed and opening up vaccine eligibility to everyone in group 1D.
The state Department of Health says in the past year, 1,002,366 total tests have been performed statewide. The number reflects 429,839 unique persons tested or approximately half (48.5%) of the state’s population.
The health department also opened up vaccine eligibility to the remainder of the people in priority group D which includes teachers, childcare workers, college staff, college students living in dormitories and funeral workers.
Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon says getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is “a significant step” in getting back to normal and she encourages eligible people to schedule their vaccination as soon as possible. She says South Dakota remains a leader in nationwide vaccination efforts with more than 30% of the population having received at least 1-dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so far.
Since December, the Department of Health and Vault Health, Inc. have partnered to provide free, at-home COVID-19 testing kits to all South Dakota residents. The saliva-based test can be requested by clicking here. The test is geared towards people who’ve had close contact with confirmed positive cases and no symptoms or medical insurance are required.
For additional information and the latest COVID-19 resources, visit COVID.SD.GOV.
Comments