Number of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota rises to 626

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota has risen to 626, state health officials said.

The South Dakota Department of Health reported 90 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. South Dakota’s death total remains at six, with no new deaths reported Saturday.

Health officials said 86 of the new cases reported are in Minnehaha County, South Dakota’s most populous county. Of the 438 total cases reported in Minnehaha County, 238 have been tied to an outbreak at a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken on Saturday called for the company to close its plant for a minimum of 14 days. Noem said she also wants the company to pay its employees during the shutdown.

Reported hospitalizations from the disease increased to 33. Of reported cases, 189 have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.