Governor Noem: South Dakotans need to follow social distancing guidelines until August

During today’s press conference, Governor Kristi Noem says South Dakota will likely hit the peak of coronavirus infections in mid-June.

She says the state will need to keep mitigation measures in place until August.

She also now says somewhere between 30% and 70% of South Dakotans will contract the virus. She says most will have minor or no symptoms.

At the peak, there could be 5000 people hospitalized in the this state.

Gov. Noem says if she shut the state down (shelter at home), that order would have to stay in place until October.

There are currently 187 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state with community spread in 17 counties. There has been two fatalities connected to the disease.

The message from the state’s health care providers:  continue social distancing and remain physically apart.