COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota
The COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. , South Dakota public health authorities reported 44 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths, with a seven-day moving average of 58 new cases per day. There have been 7,906 confirmed cases, 774 hospitalizations, and 118 deaths in South Dakota due to COVID-19.
The first cases and death from COVID-19 in South Dakota were announced on March 10. In April 2020, a major outbreak at a Smithfield Foods processing plant in Sioux Falls caused Minnehaha County to become the state's epicenter of the pandemic, accounting for nearly 3,000 confirmed cases alone by May 11. Despite these events, the state was one of several to have not employed a formal stay-at-home order—leaving them and similar restrictions to the responsibility of municipalities.
Timeline
On March 10, Governor Kristi Noem's office announced the first four cases, and one death in a man in his 60s with underlying health conditions; all patients had recently traveled outside South Dakota.On April 9, over 80 employees at a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls were confirmed to have COVID-19. The plant announced it would suspend operations beginning April 11. By that day, Smithfield employees accounted for the majority of active cases in South Dakota. Some activity continued at the plant on April 14, as it planned to shut down completely. On April 15, 438 Smithfield employees tested positive for COVID-19.
On June 4, Noem announced that Mount Rushmore's Independence Day festivities on July 3 would go on as originally scheduled and planned, with no additional reduction in ticketed capacity or "enforcement" of social distancing, and with President Trump expected to attend. Secretary of Tourism Jim Hagen stated that "we're doing everything we can to work diligently to make this a safe and fun event for all attendees." Noem downplayed the possibility that the event could lead to new outbreaks, arguing that the state " even come close to reaching the capacity of the amount of people that we can take care of." The majority of the audience did not practice social distancing or wear face masks.
After the event, it was reported that Noem had interacted with Kimberly Guilfoyle—a Trump aide who later tested positive for COVID-19, and flew back to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One. On July 7, Noem stated that she had tested negative, stated that Guilfoyle was asymptomatic, and claimed that "the science of the virus tells us that it's very, very difficult to spread the virus when you're asymptomatic". Noem added that it was "incredibly important that we do what we can to mitigate the spread of this virus, but we also know that we can't stop it."
Response
On March 13, Governor Kristi Noem declared a state of emergency. Schools were closed beginning March 16. On April 6, Noem ordered vulnerable residents of Lincoln and Minnehaha counties who are 65 years of age or older or have a chronic condition to stay home until further notice. The order was lifted May 11.In contrast to the majority of states, Governor Noem resisted imposing a mandatory, state-wide stay-at-home order, having argued that "the people themselves are primarily responsible for their safety", and that she wanted to respect their rights to "exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home". Following the lead of President Donald Trump, Noem also promoted the unproven use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 symptoms.
Local responses
Noem has faced criticism from residents, as well as other city and county leaders, for her lack of state-wide action, especially after the outbreak in Sioux Falls. The resistance has forced municipalities to implement their own ordinances to enforce social distancing, including Sioux Falls—which enacted a "no lingering" ordinance on March 26 to restrict all non-essential businesses to only serving a maximum of 10 customers at a time.Mayor of Sioux Falls Paul TenHaken introduced a proposal for a municipal stay-at-home order on April 14, but it was rejected by city council. On May 8, the "no lingering" ordinance was eased to allow restaurants to expand to capacity, and fitness, entertainment, and recreation facilities to expand to half of their licensed capacity, or 10, whichever is greater. On May 19, TenHaken tabled a proposal to sunset the ordinance, citing a slowing in new cases in the city since the new ordinance was implemented. City Health Director Jill Franken also reported that the number of hospitalizations in the area was lower than projected. On May 26, Sioux Falls City Council voted in favor, with the ordinance officially repealed on May 29.
Tribal responses
The Cheyenne River and Pine Ridge Sioux reservations have established highway checkpoints to regulate access to their territory. On May 8, Governor Noem sent letters to the two tribes' leaders, declaring the checkpoints illegal for "interfering with or regulating traffic on US and state highways" without permission, and threatening a federal lawsuit if not removed.The Oglala and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes maintained their checkpoints due to safety concerns.
On May 12, Noem sent a second letter to the leader of the Cheyenne River reservation, clarifying that it was within their rights of tribal sovereignty to establish checkpoints on roads leading into their reservation to help protect their populations, as long as they provide "reasonable access" for essential goods, emergency services, and access to private property situated on the land. On May 20, after the tribes continued the checkpoints, Noem sought assistance from the federal government in resolving the dispute. On June 24, the Cheyenne River Sioux filed a lawsuit against the federal government.