Over 3,000 COVID-19 cases reported in South Dakota over extended weekend

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The South Dakota Department of Health reported a record-high COVID-19 daily case count Tuesday, though officials say the number is inflated due in part to reporting issues and the extended holiday weekend.

The state saw 3,047 new coronavirus cases along with four additional deaths, according to the Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard. The previous daily case record was 2,138 on Nov. 27 of 2021, though that report also included an extra day’s worth of data.

A note on the state’s website says the Jan. 4 report includes four days of reporting due to the New Year’s holiday weekend, and also included some delayed reporting last week from health care facilities. The note also said the rise of the Omicron variant is impacting case numbers.

Active cases surged by nearly 2,000, surpassing the 10,000 mark for the first time since December of 2020.

The number of people currently hospitalized with the disease rose by over 20 to 261.