Noem, DOH Continue Statewide Effort to Prepare for COVID-19 

Pat Powers

Noem, DOH Continue Statewide Effort to Prepare for COVID-19
South Dakotans still at “low risk” for coronavirus

PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Kristi Noem and the South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH) today hosted a web discussion with more than 600 South Dakota health professionals to highlight statewide efforts to prepare for COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus.

“There is a low risk for South Dakotans to become infected with coronavirus,” said Noem. “Regardless, we are prepared. We have the right people and plans in place to handle this situation in the event it is detected in our state.”

“For the general public, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is low,” said Kim Malsam-Rysdon, Secretary of Health. “However, we know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. South Dakotans can help stop the spread of germs by washing hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning surfaces regularly, and staying home if you are sick.”

To proactively protect and prepare South Dakota for coronavirus, Noem and SDDOH has:

  • Commissioned an agency taskforce for coordination and planning with partners and other state agencies;
  • Developed an action plan for information management, incident management, and monitoring for persons at risk of infection;
  • Communicated regularly with healthcare providers across the state, especially as it relates to coordinating with the CDC;
  • Developed capacity at the State Public Health Laboratory to test for virus that causes COVID-19; and
  • Launched a COVID-19 website to keep South Dakotans up-to-date on current situations.

Earlier this week, Noem joined Vice President Mike Pence and governors from across the nation for a discussion on the White House’s Coronavirus Task Force. Noem also visited the State Health Lab and spoke with the state team charged with preparing for the virus. 

To date, there are no cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota. To learn more about the state’s efforts surrounding coronavirus, visit the Department of Health website.

Download photos of Noem’s phone call with Vice President Pence here and her visit to the State Health Lab here.

5 thoughts on “Noem, DOH Continue Statewide Effort to Prepare for COVID-19 ”

  2. Tracking links galore.

    BTW Trump says to just go to work if you have it. Great advice!

    1. I watched the interview and that’s not at all what he said.

      Trump was explaining that many people may have the virus and not be aware of it, so it’s impossible to say exactly how many cases there are and what the actual fatality rate is. He did NOT say that people should go to work while sick.

      What he actually said was: “A lot people will have this and it’s very mild. They’ll get better very rapidly. They don’t even see a doctor. They don’t even call a doctor,” Trump said.

      You never hear about those people. So you can’t put them down in the category of the overall population in terms of this corona flu and — or virus. So you just can’t do that,” he continued. “So if, you know, we have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people that get better, just by, you know, sitting around and even going to work — some of them go to work but they get better.”
      https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/05/trump-disputes-coronavirus-death-rate-121892

      1. William, bringing actual quotes into the discussion?! How rude! Why can’t you just take MSM clips and “interpretations” like the left does?

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