Health

Some COVID patients flown out of state as SD hospital ICU capacity dwindles

South Dakota’s largest hospitals are at or above their capacity to care for critically ill COVID-19 patients, forcing some of the sickest patients to be flown out of state to receive care. The strain of a months-long surge in coronavirus cases has reduced hospital capacity to care for those

Poll: Women less supportive than men of Gov. Kristi Noem and state virus response

Poll: Women less supportive than men of Gov. Kristi Noem and state virus response

While a majority of South Dakotans continue to approve of the overall performance of Gov. Kristi Noem, a new poll shows that women are far less supportive than men of the governor, her handling of health-care issues and the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. The poll results come

Poll part 2: SD women express support but also criticism of Gov. Kristi Noem

A new statewide poll shows that women are less supportive than men when it comes to almost every aspect of the performance of Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican who is the state’s first female governor. The poll of 600 residents was conducted from Oct. 22-28 and sponsored by South

Tribal COVID-19 precautions hurting businesses on South Dakota reservations

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated small businesses on Native American reservations in South Dakota as tribal councils have mandated business closures, banned gatherings and told tourists to stay away to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in their vulnerable communities. Tribal governments took aggressive action against the spread of COVID-19 early on

SD election officials take new approaches to voting amid pandemic

Editor’s note: This article was produced through a partnership between South Dakota News Watch and the Solutions Journalism Network, a national non-profit group that supports rigorous journalism about responses to problems. South Dakota election officials are taking a wide range of steps — and implementing some creative measures — to ensure

Long-term care residents in SD suffering health crisis due to COVID-19 isolation

As nursing homes and assisted-living facilities have restricted the movements of residents and eliminated most in-person visits by friends and families amid the COVID-19 pandemic, an unexpected elderly health crisis has emerged in South Dakota and across the country. The mental and physical health of many residents of long-term care

Realtors seeing rush of relocations to South Dakota amid pandemic

Realtors in South Dakota have seen a steady influx of people seeking more affordable housing and more personal freedoms by moving to South Dakota amid the pandemic, even as the state has seen a sharp rise in the number of active COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Many new home buyers