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Group commemorates COVID-19 deaths at South Dakota Capitol (Audio)

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Group commemorates COVID-19 deaths at South Dakota Capitol (Audio)

November 27, 2020

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – One group of South Dakotans marked the Thanksgiving holiday by setting up a makeshift memorial near the state Capitol for those who have died from COVID-19.

A group called “Stop the Spread” set up over 800 empty chairs on the Capitol grounds, representing each person who has died.

Organizer Ashley, who asked that her last name not be used, says the display is intended to visualize the loss and impact of COVID-19…..

The state has tallied 849 COVID-19 deaths, with 424 of those deaths coming in November.

While the state maintained one of the nation’s lowest death rates per capita throughout the summer and into the fall, a wave of cases has led to a skyrocketing rate of deaths in recent weeks.