SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A second child younger than 10 years old has died after contracting the coronavirus in South Dakota, health officials reported Tuesday.
The state Health Department said the child was from Minnehaha County, which includes Sioux Falls. COVID-19 was “the underlying factor,” department spokesman Daniel Bucheli said in an email to the Argus Leader. Bucheli said no further information would be made available.
The first death was an infant under the age of 1 out of Pennington County.
More than 12,892 children under age 10 have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began in March 2020.
The state confirmed 2,265 new and probable cases on Tuesday, when active cases reached a record high for a fifth time. The overall total for deaths due to the virus stands at 2,560, although health officials said fatalities can take several days to appear after they are reported.
All but one county in South Dakota is classified as having high community spread of the disease, according to the health department. Jones County is classified as having low community spread