几份报告显示，南达科他州是全国新冠肺炎传播率最高的州之一，因为中西部地区的病例激增。
在白宫冠状病毒特别工作组的最新报告中，该州的新发病例率和检测阳性率均位居全国第二。根据9月27日的报告，在上周更大的测试中，这两个数字都有所增加，“表明传播增加。”
在另一项新冠肺炎传播调查中，南达科他州在测试阳性率方面领先。根据约翰·霍普金斯大学截至周二，该州七天的平均检测阳性率为26%，为全国最高。
在几个月的稳定数字之后，该州每天的新病例和住院人数在最近几周激增。9月26日，南达科他州报告了创纪录的每日新发病例数，为579例。第二天，它报告了创纪录的住院人数，根据COVID跟踪项目。
科里·迈尔斯/阿格斯领导通过今日美国网络
2020年8月2日，在南卡罗来纳州布兰登的重新开业之夜，赛马场的粉丝们勇敢地排起长队，进入侯赛因的高速公路。这条赛道自2017年就关闭了。
这些记录是在州长克里斯蒂·诺姆几天后公布的在推特上说该病毒的传播在该州达到了“顶峰”。
病例和住院人数的增加正值新冠肺炎在中西部肆虐之际。自9月26日以来，明尼苏达州、威斯康星州和堪萨斯州也报告了创纪录的新病例数，中西部也是如此领导国家根据COVID追踪项目，每100万人中就有一个地区病例。
约翰霍普金斯大学的数据显示，爱达荷州和威斯康星州目前的阳性率为20%或更高。在白宫冠状病毒特别工作组的最新报告中，南达科他州北部的邻居北达科他州的新发病例率是全国最高的。
此外，美国中西部的三个州——北达科他州、南达科他州和威斯康星州——对新冠肺炎的风险水平最高哈佛全球健康研究所。
白宫冠状病毒特别工作组建议，测试是南达科他州“实现疫情控制的关键”。州卫生官员说这是他们关注的焦点。
“我们正在努力增加全州的检测量，”卫生部部长金·马尔萨姆-里斯登在本周早些时候的冠状病毒简报会上说。“这将继续是我们的首要任务。”
马尔萨姆-里斯登在简报中没有分享该州增加测试的计划细节，但她说，“需要全州的供应商努力工作，以达到测试量。”
卫生官员说，他们听说过人们逃避检测的传闻，他们鼓励有新冠肺炎症状的人，或无症状但与确诊病例有过密切接触的人寻求检测。他们还强调，如果居民有确诊病例或接触到确诊病例的人，必要时应进行隔离和隔离。
根据COVID跟踪项目，在本月早些时候徘徊在70多岁的高点之后，自9月27日以来，南达科他州因新冠肺炎而住院的人数已超过200人。官员们强调，该州的医院容量目前不是一个问题，尽管他们警告说，目前预计会有大量住院患者。截至周三晚上，医院病床容量为57%，重症监护室病床容量为75%，根据状态数据。
该州流行病学家乔舒亚·克莱顿(Joshua Clayton)博士强调了“个人预防措施”，比如戴口罩和保持社交距离，以减少新冠肺炎病毒在该州的传播。在大流行期间，南达科他州是少数几个没有发布全州口罩禁令的州之一，它也从未发布过居家令。
德鲁·安格雷尔/盖蒂图像，文件
2019年12月16日，在白宫举行的一次关于州长监管创新倡议的会议上，南达科他州州长克里斯蒂·诺姆(Kristi Noem)与唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)总统进行了交谈。
案件上升之际，州长诺姆一直在促进她的州的旅游业。本月早些时候，她的政府宣布的它使用联邦冠状病毒救助基金支付500万美元的旅游广告活动。
上个月，南达科他州举办了一场大型摩托车拉力赛八个州至少有100个新冠肺炎病例可以追溯到它。
South Dakota seeing surge in COVID-19 transmission as cases rise in Midwest
South Dakota has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 spread in the country, several reports show, as the Midwest experiences a surge in cases.
The state ranked second in the country for both rates of new cases and test positivity in the latest report from the White House Coronavirus Task Force. According to the report, dated Sept. 27, both numbers increased over the last week amid greater testing, "indicating increasing transmission."
South Dakota leads in testing positivity in another survey of COVID-19 transmission. According toJohns Hopkins University, as of Tuesday, the state's seven-day average testing positivity rate was 26% -- the highest in the country.
After months of somewhat steady numbers, daily new cases and hospitalizations in the state have surged in recent weeks. South Dakota reported a record number of daily new cases on Sept. 26, with 579. The next day, it reported a record number of current hospitalizations, with 216, according to theCOVID Tracking Project.
Racetrack fans brave long lines to get into Huset's Speedway during their re-opening night in Brandon, S.D., Aug, 2 2020. The track had been closed since 2017.
The records came several days after Gov. Kristi Noemsaid on Twitterthat the spread of the virus had "peaked" in the state.
The increase in cases and hospitalizations come as COVID-19 is raging in the Midwest. Since Sept. 26, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas have also reported record numbers of new cases, and the Midwestleads the nationin regional cases per 1 million people, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
Idaho and Wisconsin are currently seeing positivity rates at 20% or higher, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report, South Dakota's neighbor to the north, North Dakota, had the highest rate of new cases in the country.
Additionally, three Midwestern states -- North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin -- have the highest risk level for COVID-19 in the U.S., according to theHarvard Global Health Institute.
Testing is "key to achieving epidemic control" in South Dakota, the White House Coronavirus Task Force recommended. State health officials said that's what they're focusing on.
"We are very much working towards increasing testing volume across the state," Department of Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon said during a coronavirus briefing earlier this week. "That will continue to be a priority for us."
Malsam-Rysdon did not share details of the state's plans to increase testing during the briefing, though she said that "it takes efforts from providers across the state to work towards that testing volume."
Health officials said they have heard anecdotally of people avoiding testing, and they are encouraging people who show symptoms of COVID-19, or are asymptomatic but have had close contact with someone who is a confirmed case, to seek testing. They are also stressing that residents quarantine and isolate as necessary if they have a confirmed case or come into contact with someone who does.
After hovering around the high 70s earlier this month, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have been above 200 since Sept. 27 in South Dakota, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Officials have stressed that hospital capacity in the state is not currently a concern, though they warned that a large number of hospitalizations can be expected for the time being. As of Wednesday evening, hospital bed capacity was at 57% and ICU bed capacity at 75%, according tostate data.
Dr. Joshua Clayton, the state epidemiologist, has emphasized "individual precautions," such as mask-wearing and social distancing, when it comes to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the state. South Dakota is among a minority of states to not have issued a statewide mask mandate during the pandemic, and it never issued a stay-at-home order.
Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem speaks to President Donald Trump during a meeting about the Governors Initiative on Regulatory Innovation at the White House on Dec. 16, 2019.
The rising cases come as Gov. Noem has been promoting tourism in her state. Earlier this month, her administrationannouncedit was using federal coronavirus relief funds to pay for a $5 million tourism ad campaign.
Last month, South Dakota hosted amassive motorcycle rallythat had at least 100 COVID-19 cases in eight states traced back to it.
