COVID-19

In The Moment ... April 9, 2020 Show 792 Hour 2

Coronavirus testing has been at the center of pandemic response in the United States since the first case of COVID-19 was detected. From test kit shortages to drive-through testing sites, we've seen what's available to South Dakotans evolve. Now there's a new story to tell. 

New claims for unemployment benefits continue to rise in South Dakota as the coronavirus spreads. 

There were 7,916 unemployment filings in South Dakota last week. It was the third consecutive week of record claims from pandemic-related job losses.  

State residents have filed a total of more than 16,000 unemployment claims since the pandemic’s impact on the economy first showed up in the numbers during mid-March. 

In The Moment ... April 8, 2020 Show 791 Hour 2

In The Moment ... April 8, 2020 Show 791 Hour 1

March was supposed to be a joyous new beginning for Matthew and Alexis Sullivan. 

They had decided to relocate their Rapid City restaurant, called Juniper, more than a year earlier. They found a new space that needed remodeling, and they got to work. 

Alexis said it was a long year. 

The SDPB News Podcast is where we bring you South Dakota's top news and politics headlines from the past 24 hours.

Each day, SDPB's journalism team works to bring you pertinent news coverage. We then compile those stories into one neatly formatted daily podcast so that you can stay informed. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

In The Moment ... April 7, 2020 Show 790 Hour 1

The coronavirus pandemic has nature reclaiming its space. People from all over the world have been asked to decrease their activity which means animals and their activity are more visible to us, often in surprising ways. Stephanie Arne is an explorer and wildlife presenter. She is the founder of the Creative Animal Foundation.

In The Moment ... April 7, 2020 Show 790 Hour 1

South Dakota is one of five states in the country without a stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. And despite requests, the South Dakota Department of Health has not declared a public health emergency. 

Governor Kristi Noem has been hesitant to employ a statewide declaration. Instead, she's opting for executive orders that leave some local government leaders unclear about their authority. SDPB's Lee Strubinger reports:

Deadwood casino operators hoping for emergency payroll loans from Congress have received some bad news: They’re not eligible, at least for now. 

In The Moment ... April 6, 2020 Show 789 Hour 1

More is known now regarding the pandemic than just 3 weeks ago. What needs to happen in the days ahead to stay on top of this? At this point what do citizens need to know about coronavirus?  Dr. Chad Thury is  Regional Director of Clinical Quality and Family Medicine Physician with Avera. He joins us today with the latest.

Education and Healthcare reporting on SDPB is supported by Monument Health of Rapid City

In The Moment ... April 6, 2020 Show 789 Hour 1

Pharmacies across South Dakota have been feeling the effects of coronavirus. The efforts to fill prescriptions in a timely manner have been tested. Several facets of the pharmacy departments across the state have been challenged. Jessica Strobl is director of pharmacy services at Lewis Drug, she joins us today to discuss how COVID 19 has affected what she and her staff do.

Education and Healthcare reporting on SDPB is supported by Monument Health of Rapid City

State health officials are reluctant to address questions about the projected death rates for COVID-19. They say infection rates, mitigation efforts, and other factors make it difficult to predict, but they outlined the formula they are using. 

Secretary of Health Kim Malsam-Rysdon says the department’s projections focus on predicting hospital capacity needs, but she notes previous estimates of death rates from COVID-19.

“That ranges from 0.5 to 3 percent of positive cases.”

Governor Kristi Noem says the number of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota may peak in the middle of June.

That’s based on current projections and state actions so far.

Models show the state will need 5-thousand hospital beds when COVID-19 hits its peak. The projection also estimates the state will need 1,300 ventilators. Governor Noem says they are working now to get more ventilators.

South Dakota is one of five states without a stay at home order. The other are North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Arkansas.

Governor Kristi Noem is activating the National Guard to help hospitals respond to cases of COVID-19. The guard will build supplemental medical facilities in Sioux Falls and Rapid City before expanding to other parts of the state.

The governor says efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus have provided more time to prepare for a surge of potential cases. But ultimately the state will need more hospital beds. 

We talk with Senate Majority Whip John Thune, hear a veteran politics reporter's take on Governor Noem's leadership and more in this week's In the Moment news podcast.

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In The Moment ... April 2, 2020 Show 787 Hour 2

How are South Dakotans responding to the threat of COVID-19? A new statewide survey seeks to quantify our concern, our behavior, and our willingness to keep up drastic measures to slow the spread of the pandemic. 

In The Moment ... April 2, 2020 Show 787 Hour 1

U.S. Senator John Thune is the Senate Majority Whip, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate. He recently returned to South Dakota feeling flu-like symptoms. Since then he has tested negative for COVID-19. 

He joins us now from his home in Sioux Falls. 

Watch the full interview here.

For the second week in a row, the coronavirus pandemic is forcing a record number of South Dakotans onto unemployment rolls. 

There were 6,645 claims for unemployment assistance filed last week in South Dakota. That’s the most-ever in the available data from the U.S. Department of Labor, which goes back to 1987. 

Governor Kristi Noem has already issued a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus. But many are waiting for her to declare a public health emergency. 

That distinction is frustrating local leaders—especially after lawmakers defeated a bill that would have granted more specific authorities during a public health emergency. 

A state of emergency gives the governor more flexibility to work with federal partners. It also triggers certain state resources. For instance, the governor declared a state of emergency last year to help responses during major flooding. 

South Dakota lawmakers have added another option for small-business owners who need help getting through the coronavirus pandemic. 

In The Moment ... March 31, 2020 Show 785 Hour 2

In this In the Moment news special, we hear a recap of South Dakota's first digital Veto Day and the actions brought up to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, the impacts of the pandemic on the legal world, the South Dakota economy, med students, and more. 

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In The Moment ... March 31, 2020 Show 785 Hour 1

In the midst of a pandemic, we humans are very concerned. Those same humans also have to be thoughtful of those around them whether they have 2 legs or perhaps 4. The question is how does the coronavirus affect our pets, our livestock or the farm animals? Joining us with insight is South Dakota's state veterinarian Dustin Oedekoven.