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The Centers for Disease Control is updating its guidance on masks as COVID-19 cases increase.
A health official says it’s tough to know how to respond in South Dakota. He says that’s because the state isn’t doing enough testing.
The CDC s new mask guidance says even vaccinated people should wear a mask indoors in areas with significant or high spread of the coronavirus.
The CDC defines that as areas with a testing positivity rate of greater than 8 percent, or where there are 50 weekly cases per 100,000 residents.
However, following that guidance may be difficult in South Dakota, which has some of the lowest testing rates in the country. Dr. Shankar Kurra is the vice-president of medical affairs with Monument Health in Rapid City. He says that means the state is undercounting cases.
A Sioux Falls-based health system will require COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff before November 1st.
Sanford Health announced earlier today that any employees who do not comply with the policy are subject to termination after the November 1st deadline. Religious and medical exemptions are available.
The announcement comes amid concerns regarding the delta variant, and its spread within the state. South Dakota has detected 12 cases of the variant so far, but more are expected.
Dr. Jeremy Cauwels is the chief physician at Sanford Health.
“We want to keep our employees safe. We want to keep our residents safe, we want to keep our patients safe.” Cauwels says, “And as we look to that, the easiest way and the most uniform way to do that is to take our vaccination rate from the 70% it is right now up to 100%.”
COVID-19 cases are trending upward in some western South Dakota counties. Health officials say the upcoming Sturgis motorcycle rally poses a further risk to unvaccinated people.
Dr. Shankar Kurra is vice president of medical affairs at Monument Health in Rapid City. He says the rally provides places for the virus to spread.
“Now with the Sturgis rally, as much as it’s outdoors, folks have to use the facilities for food, for drinks, for restroom breaks. And that’s where the risk is the highest.”
South Dakota experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases after last year’s rally, before vaccines were available. Since then, 53 percent of South Dakotans 12 and older have been fully vaccinated. But in some West River counties, the percentage is much lower.
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Wildfires are striking up in western states. The smoke from those fires can affect air quality across the country.
Air quality is measured on a scale of 0 to 500. As the number increases, air quality is worse and there’s more impact on human health. Anything above 100 is considered harmful to those with respiratory issues. Above 300 is harmful to the general population.
The state air quality index shows the worst air quality is in northeastern South Dakota. It’s registering in the 80s in towns like Aberdeen and Watertown.
Mike Hansen is a pulmonologist for Monument Health in Rapid City. He says air quality now is not a concern- but that can change.