PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) Nine soldiers with the South Dakota National Guard are helping Monument Health with COVID-19 testing in the western part of the state. <\/p>\n
The soldiers were activated to Belle Fourche, Custer, Rapid City, Spearfish and Sturgis.<\/p>\n
The soldiers are activated under FEMA Title 32, so their efforts will be federally funded.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Governor Kristi Noem says she spoke with all three South Dakota hospital systems to ask what they needed as cases start to rise again. <\/p>\n
Monument shared a need for help with testing efforts. <\/p>\n
Testing efforts help us to identify and isolate cases to slow the spread of the virus, Noem said in the email.<\/p>\n
The members began their work Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Testing volume in August was 115 percent higher than it was in July, according to Emily Leech, Director of the Monument Health Laboratory Services. <\/p>\n
The health care system says that in the last seven days, 2,856 COVID-19 PCR tests were completed and 844 were positive for a positivity rate of 29.6 percent.<\/p>\n
Leech says assistance from the National Guard will allow Monument Health to test more patients and fully utilize testing equipment.<\/p>\n
The latest update from the state health department said the Rapid City hospital was at 100 percent capacity.<\/p>\n
A month ago, the Monument Health system had fewer than 10 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. As of Monday, Aug. 30, the number had increased to 110.<\/p>\n
Dan Daly with Monument Health says as of Tuesday, the health care system has 108 COVID-19 patients. He says that is more than the 104 patients treated when COVID-19 peaked in November 2020 in South Dakota. <\/p>\n
A Monument spokesman tells us they are not turning anyone away. He says if someone needs a bed, they will find one.<\/p>\n
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