Noem says more testing supplies needed to identify hot spots

April 23, 2020

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says she is requesting more coronavirus testing supplies from the federal government as the state tries to navigate the partial opening of businesses.

Governors have called on President Donald Trump to help them scale up testing as he pushes for a reopening of the economy.

Noem said Wednesday that she’s gotten some supplies but still needs more to address hot spots of infections. She says her decision to resist ordering business closures already put the state at phase one of Trump’s plan to reopen state economies.

Meanwhile, health officials on Wednesday reported a new COVID-19 death, raising the state’s coronavirus death toll to nine.