COVID-19: Noem addresses critics who want statewide shutdown, praises Huron city officials for their work (Audio)

April 3, 2020
Mike Tanner

PIERRE, S.D.—Governor Kristi Noem was joined by several health professionals at Friday’s COVID-19 press conference at the State Capitol.

The governor displayed several new graphs which show how, through preventative measures, South Dakotans have flatted the curve of COVID-19 cases, and pushed the peak amount of cases into mid-June.

The governor also tackled head on the critics who say she needs to order a statewide “stay in place” order, and close all businesses….

Joining Noem at the briefing was Dr. Allison Suttle, Chief Medical Officer at Sanford Health.

Suttle says the social distancing that’s being requested is really about keeping a physical distance from others. And that takes good planning…

Governor Noem gave a tip of the cap to Beadle County and the city of Huron. They were the first “hot spot” of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota.

But the governor says because of the steps people have taken there, combined with the leadership of elected officials, the situation has improved immensely…..