Looking Out for Each Other
By Governor Kristi Noem
COVID-19 is challenging our state and our people in ways that we’ve never seen before. It’s been 45 days since our first positive case was reported in South Dakota. Since that time, South Dakotans have followed medical advice, drastically changed their daily routines, and as a result, flattened the state’s projected curve by 75 percent. I want to thank South Dakotans for their diligence, but I also want everyone to remember that we’re not out of the woods yet. I need folks to continue to follow guidance and be smart about protecting themselves, their families, and – in turn – their communities.
Earlier this week, I took a minute to draw specific attention to a community that is near and dear to my heart, farmers and ranchers. As a fourth-generation farmer, I know what it’s like to watch your land be flooded out by the weather, livestock struggle through a storm, and to have tens of thousands of dollars of losses in a year for things totally beyond your control. But this virus is a totally new challenge.
South Dakotans are strong-willed, independent-minded, people, and this is especially true in the agriculture industry. But now more than ever, I’m asking people to please look out for each other.
Beyond the very real health concerns we are facing, South Dakotans also are under considerable financial strain and mental stress. Life is unfair at times. It can be incredibly tough. Right now, you may feel like you’re playing with a losing hand. Too often, there is a stigma surrounding mental health. That’s wrong. We have resources available on COVID.sd.gov if you need help.
South Dakotans have stepped up and done what is necessary to flatten the curve so far; there’s more work to do. If we continue to be diligent about practicing social distancing, if we continue to exercise personal responsibility to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities safe, and if we look out for our fellow South Dakotans and care for each other’s well-being, then we will emerge from this challenge stronger than ever.
The good news for all South Dakotans is that you are not alone. Together, we will get through this.
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Agree with our governor: “if we continue to exercise personal responsibility to keep ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities safe, and if we look out for our fellow South Dakotans and care for each other’s well-being, then we will emerge from this challenge stronger than ever.”
The Noem-Rhoden team has provided superb leadership throughout this unprecedented national crisis.