Nearly 1/3 of South Dakotans have received vaccine dose

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - State health officials say nearly one-third of all South Dakotans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, though active cases continued to trickle upward Friday.

The Department of Health reported 165 new cases on Friday, bringing the state’s total known cases to 113,229.

Active cases rose by 40 to 2,096. While this number is still only around 10% of the peak the state saw in November, it has risen by roughly 200 over the past week.

There were no new deaths reported Friday. The state’s total remained at 1,896.

Current hospitalizations fell by seven to 74. This number had hovered around 100 in the previous week but has dropped in recent days.

A total of 30% of South Dakotans have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Department of Health’s Dashboard. Of those, 20% have received both doses required to maximize immunity. Officials say these statistics include federally administered doses, including vaccines distributed by IHS, the VA, and through the retail pharmacy program. It also only factors in people who are old enough to receive a vaccine.