New Supplies Allow Testing to Resume in South Dakota, 3 New Positives in Beadle County
Governor Kristi Noem says the state can begin processing high-risk COVID-19 test results again today. The state lab received a shipment this morning of the chemicals used to evaluate virus samples.
At a 5:15pm press conference, the Governor confirmed 3 new cases of COVID-19, all in Beadle County. The state also has 270 test results pending. There have been 663 negative tests so far.
The South Dakota Department of Health said yesterday, the state lab will continue to triage test samples according to priority levels listed on the department’s website.
South Dakota Unemployment Cases Surge
State government is scrambling to handle a sudden surge in unemployment claims because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Phone calls about unemployment benefits in South Dakota go to a call center in Aberdeen. Eleven people work there. So many calls are coming this week that the state is shifting five more employees over to help answer phones. Another four employees are being moved over to help with online claims, which are also processed there.
Still, so many people are calling that the wait time on the phone is about an hour, says Dawn Dovre of the Department of Labor and Regulation. She is encouraging people to file online if possible. The U.S. Department of Labor says unemployment claims rose 33 percent nationwide last week. Dovre says state numbers aren’t compiled yet.
“Anecdotally, I would say the people filing claims related to COVID-19 have not had to file for unemployment insurance before, and so we’re spending extra time with them to make sure that they understand the requirements, and that we can help explain eligibility to them.”
In South Dakota, employers pay taxes to an unemployment trust fund. Anyone who’s out of work through no fault of their own can apply for benefits from the fund. Eligible workers can receive payments up to 48 percent of their former wage, to a maximum of 414 dollars per week. The payments can last up to 26 weeks.
The phone number to file a claim in South Dakota is (605) 626-2452. But again, online filing is encouraged. The website is RAclaims.sd.gov. The “RA” stands for Reemployment Assistance, which is the name of the state’s unemployment program.
People could normally go to a local Job Service office for help filing a claim, but those offices are closed to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Rounds Working on Third Federal Relief Package
South Dakota U.S. Senator Mike Rounds says the Senate is working quickly on a third relief package for American consumers and small businesses.
That package could end up totaling one trillion dollars.
Rounds says the Senate is considering one-time payments to individuals based on the number of people in a family. He says there will be a limit based on total income.
“So, it’s not going to go to millionaires or anything like that,” Rounds says. “But, it would go to a whole lot of folks that probably need assistance right now. The amounts are absolutely being discussed. We don’t’ have a solid number what they’re going to look like yet. We’re going to have to negotiate that out with our Democrat colleagues. I really hesitate to spin one particular number. I know we are talking about based on the number people that there are in the families. That seems to be a consistent message out there.”
Rounds says there is already talk in Congress for a possible fourth relief package.
Sioux Falls Police Encouraging Use of Online Reporting
The City of Sioux Falls and Sioux Falls Police Department are trying to limit the person-to-person contact for emergency first responders. The city has used the online reporting function since 2012. Now the city encourages residents to use this feature to report certain crimes.
Police officials ask that people now use the online option for the following crimes: harassment phone calls, lost property, theft, vandalism, vehicle vandalism, thefts of vehicles, graffiti, and illegal dumping.
The online crime report option is on the Sioux Falls' website through its ‘report’ tab. A person can also report one of these crimes through the City of Sioux Falls mobile app, which is supported on both Apple and Android devices.
Humane Society of the Black Hills Open for Business
The Humane Society of the Black Hills is open for business and taking new precautions to reduce the risk of corona virus transmission. Jerry Steinley [STINE lee] is executive director. He says even now, they need staff to maintain the animal shelter. Steinley says they are limiting group sizes and cleaning more than usual.
“And oddly as a lot of businesses are trying to keep people out, we’re trying to get them in. We don't want huge groups but if you’re looking for an animal, check our website. Come in, we can put you right back in the adoption room, we can bring the animal up. We take precautions like hand sanitizer, we mop a lot to clean the floors. But we do want people to feel comfortable to come down and find an animal because that is how we get them back into homes. We’re open for intakes-so if you have an animal that you need to bring in-and we’re open for adoptions. That’s just our business, we’re going to be here as long as we can.”
Volunteer numbers have dropped slightly. Because of that, Steinley says shelter employees have had to pick up extra tasks.
Nursing School Students See Changes
College students across the country are changing the way they learn as campuses close because of the corona virus. Many students will finish the spring semester using online learning portals. For South Dakota State University nursing students, there are curriculum changes as well.
Dr. Mary Ann Krough is the Dean of Nursing and Science at SDSU. She says the coronavirus pandemic has imposed restrictions for students in clinical settings.
"And really that was to protect patients, primarily in our elderly population. So assisted living, nursing home type environments, that we utilize a lot – especially in early learning for some of our nursing students."
Last week, South Dakota State moved most undergrad nursing students out of clinical settings. Now there are no clinical placements for students. Dr. Krough says this is an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. She says alternative learning programs, such as virtual simulations, will ensure clinical students can continue their education while at home.
COVID-19 Impact on the Creative Community
A new national survey shows an initial financial impact of the coronavirus on creative industries. Americans for the Arts reports a loss of more than $3 billion dollars to non-profit arts organizations across the country. Jim Speirs is the Executive Director for Arts South Dakota. He says creative professions make up more than 4 percent of the national economy. Speirs told SDPB’s In The Moment, the new survey shows the importance of arts and performing organizations.
“We want to remind our leaders nationally and locally, of course, that we need to consider the creative sector when we’re talking about economic relief. It’s very important that we find ways to get our artists and our arts organizations through this time,” Spears said.
Speirs says the restrictions imposed because of the virus are important. But they are especially tough on independent professionals and artists who run one-person businesses.
“They don’t have that support network that you get from working within an organization oftentimes. You also find that artists are usually some of the first that don’t have health care benefits or have to pay a lot for their health care benefits,” he said.
Many creative ventures depend on shows, concerts, performances and gatherings to thrive. Speirs encourages artists to get creative and continue to work as they can while adhering to social distancing practices.
“The arts community is going to be the first group to come up with creative ways to continue that dialogue, to continue expression of ideas and continue living.”
Arts South Dakota plans to add virtual events and performances to its website calendar. Speirs says once this pandemic ends, and restrictions on social activity are lifted, artists will need support to recover.
“Be the first one out there to buy that ticket to a concert. Be the first one out there to go to the local jazz club. That’s what it’s going to take. And I think all come back online so to speak, come back to life very quickly.”
Speirs says there are local and regional discussions going on to organize and coordinate artist relief efforts.
South Dakota Retailers Make Adjustments to Meet Demands
Retailers are adjusting to meet the demand of certain supplies during the coronavirus crisis. South Dakota businesses aim to adjust their hours to restock goods as well as sanitize their stores.
When President Trump announced a national emergency in response to the coronavirus, people drove to stores to buy and stock up on supplies. Posts circulating online show empty shelves of food and toilet paper. Nathan Sanderson is the executive director for the South Dakota Retailers Association. He says the supplies are there, they’re just not on-site.
“Products are continuing to be manufactured. They're continuing to be stored in wholesale locations, warehouses—they're continuing to move to retail businesses. The pictures that you see are of course that there's a high demand in those retail businesses. Well, just because the product is out today doesn't mean that it's going to be out tomorrow, and it takes a little bit of time to move those products through the supply chain.”
Bigger retailers like Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee are shortening their hours to stock the shelves and clean their stores. Hy-Vee spokeswoman Christina Gayman says the company is trying to keep up with customer demand.
“While we are constantly receiving shipments of all the things that people are looking for, they're also purchasing them a lot faster than they typically would. So, we are in constant communication with our supply channels to ensure that those products just keep coming on the trucks.”
Gayman says over the past week, stores have seen an increase in online, delivery and pickup services.
Rapid City Bank Employees Exposed to COVID-19
Officials with a Rapid City bank say four employees were potentially exposed to the coronavirus by someone who was providing training at the bank.
A person from New York state who conducted training March 11th at Security First Bank in Rapid City has since tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The bank issued a news release about the situation Wednesday evening.
Chief Banking Officer Marnie Hermann says the trainer notified the bank of the illness on March 12th. Hermann says four employees who had close contact with the trainer were immediately sent home to self-quarantine. Hermann says all four employees contacted physicians. At least two were directed to undergo testing for COVID-19, she says, but physicians apparently determined testing was unnecessary for the others. Hermann says neither of the tests were positive for COVID-19.
The individuals remain in self-quarantine. The bank’s drive-through lanes and ATMs remain open but the lobbies are closed. Hermann says the bank has been extensively sanitized.
So far, according to data from the state of South Dakota, only one person from the West River region has tested positive for COVID-19. That was a man in his 60s who was a resident of Pennington County, but had actually been in Davison County for the two weeks leading up to his death on March 10.
As of Thursday morning, there were 11 known cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota. There were also 551 negative test results. 402 tests were pending because of scarce testing supplies.
South Dakota Congressional Delegation Working on COVID-19 Stimulus Packages
South Dakota’s congressional delegation is reacting to the bipartisan rescue packages passed to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. As SDPB's Lee Strubinger reports, they’re working on a third package that includes cash payments to individual Americans.
Moments after voting on a second stimulus package on the Senate floor, South Dakota US Senator John Thune says the senate is studying a third and even larger relief package. Thune says the one approved Wednesday ensures any American who needs a coronavirus test will get one at no cost. It also gives tax credits to employers and provides direct assistance to American workers.
The next one, Thune says, will focus on economic impacts of the coronavirus.
“I’m hoping will bring some stability to people across this country who are being hurt by this, but also to the market,” Thune says. “We’re following what’s happening out there and we realize that so much of what happens in the market has to do with people having confidence in the future. I think we understand that we’ve got a role to play in helping to restore that confidence.”
Despite the second package and movement on a third, the markets continue to plunge. It’s estimated the third legislative package will total around $1 trillion dollars. South Dakota US Representative Dusty Johnson says Congress has acted quickly and in a strong bi-partisan manner. He says he suspects that will happen with the third package of economic relief as well.
“I will admit to some irritation that we focus so much on Wall Street and so much on the big industries of cruise ships and airlines and oil and gas people,” Johnson says. “I’ve been far more interested and far more active in the last two weeks of talking to my colleagues about what about everybody else?”
Johnson says well represented industries in DC get taken care of… Johnson says he’s focused on helping small and medium businesses, ag producers and retirees who are back bone of country and SD.