The Latest: Noem signs order extending state of emergency

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak in South Dakota (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed an executive order extending a state of emergency in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

Noem’s original order was set to expire on April 12. The new order she signed Thursday extends the state of emergency until May 31.

The declaration gives Noem the authority to activate emergency powers so the governor and state agencies can respond to the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

South Dakota health officials reported 54 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total to 447. Officials reported no new deaths from COVID-19, but six people have died so far.

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3 p..m.

Badlands National Park in South Dakota has extended a closure to the park’s South Unit in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The South Unit is located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Park officials say the South Unit is closed to the public to comply with the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s shelter-in-place order.

Earlier, the park closed the Ben Reifel Visitor Center and park entrance stations. Park roads, overlooks and trails in the North Unit will remain open to the public where social distancing can be maintained.

Park information and updates are available online at www.nps.gov/badl and on social media.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe instituted a 72-hour lockdown on the Pine Ridge Reservation this week shortly after a school employee tested positive for the coronavirus.

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12:05 p.m.

South Dakota health officials reported 54 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the state’s total to 447.

Officials reported no new deaths from COVID-19, but six people have died in the state. Over a third of people who have tested positive also recovered, according to health officials.

Minnehaha County, the state’s most-populated area, saw the largest jump in confirmed infections, with 46 new cases. That county alone accounts for over 60% of all confirmed cases.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia.

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9:55 a.m.

Unemployment claims once again surged in South Dakota last week with 7,916 people making new claims for unemployment help, the Department of Labor and Regulation announced on Thursday.

As the global coronavirus pandemic rippled through the economy, the number of people seeking unemployment in the state continued to rise. The number of new claims during the week ending April 4 is more than 40 times the same number from a month ago.

People who successfully file for unemployment can also receive an additional $600 every week as part of a federal relief package.