Two New COVID Deaths in Minnehaha County
South Dakota Department of Health officials are reporting 61 newly identified cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths. That brings the statewide total to 2,373 COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths.
There are 868 active cases of COVID-19 in the state with 1,492 people fully recovered. There are 69 people currently hospitalized.
47 of today’s new cases and both of the recent deaths are in Minnehaha County. Other counties with smaller case increases are Brown, Charles Mix, Day, Lincoln, Lyman and Moody.
Business Restrictions Beginning To Thaw In Cities Statewide
There are conversations and debates in cities across the state about relaxing restrictions and reopening more businesses. From hair salons in Yankton to casinos in Deadwood, city leaders are talking about easing pandemic-related regulations.
Deadwood is dependent on gambling and tourism. Those industries, like so many others, are closed for business. But there are only a handful of positive COVID-19 cases in Lawrence County. So Deadwood’s city commission wants to let casinos reopen. There will be restrictions, like a mandatory 6 feet between gamblers. Mayor David Ruth says warmer weather is already bringing visitors to town.
“And so we feel that we owe it to our community, both business and residential, to make sure that when people come to town, it is a safe environment.”
Economic pain and isolation fatigue are fueling discussions like that all over the state. Rapid City is allowing restaurant dining rooms to reopen, with restrictions on customer spacing. There are similar talks in Aberdeen. Yankton is preparing to allow hair salons and some other businesses to reopen, if they follow CDC guidelines.
But Yankton City Commissioner Amy Miner says reopening doesn’t mean going back to the way things were.
“We’re going to have to be accustomed to being in restaurants and having servers with gloves and masks and things. And businesses need to be thinking about what that looks like, how to keep their workers safe, as well as how to keep their patrons safe.”
The South Dakota Municipal League reports at least 54 cities have adopted pandemic laws or policies. That patchwork arose as Governor Noem initially resisted any binding statewide orders. As the governor released her Back to Normal plan this week, many cities were already talking about rolling back business restrictions.
Teaching from a Distance
Online classes for students can mean that parents take on some instructional support for their kids.
Lori Wagner is a member of the South Dakota board of education and a math professor at Northern State University. She says even when parents don’t know a lot about what students are learning, they can make an effort to work with their child.
“This is a learning process for them to do together. Encourage your students to reach out for help whether it be to their teacher or whether it be going to google. My lessons are all video lessons for students. So encouraging them to go back and learn that piece off a video lesson perhaps.”
Wagner says struggling students should use online resources to get help with lessons while taking virtual classes. She says for all students, reading can be an activity that keeps them engaged while away from the classroom.