Monument Health professionals urge vaccination push as COVID-19 cases rise in state

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Cases of COVID-19 are back on the rise in South Dakota, as health professionals urge the unvaccinated to get their shot.

The number of cases in South Dakota have doubled since the end of June while nationally, cases have nearly tripled since that same time. The CDC says, the vast majority of cases, around 80-percent, involve the delta variant.

The South Dakota Department of Health says 98 percent of new cases in the past week occurred among those who are not vaccinated.

Monument Health officials say, that with tourist season upon us,  it’s critical to get to the 70 to 80 percent vaccination rate.

“We are in the tourist season, so lots of folks from all over the country are coming here,”  said Dr. Shankar Kurra, the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Monument Health in Rapid City. “Unfortunately that brings with it the risk of the transmission of the delta variant, so we can expect a rise in cases probably late fall through winter and we won’t be out of the woods until we get to that 70 to 80 percent vaccination rate.”

In South Dakota, only 54 percent of the population has been vaccinated.