Evidently some wishful thinkers have been circulating hogwash suggesting that South Dakota’s non-governance amidst coronavirus is associated with the lowest infection rates and lowest job losses in the country. That lazy Facebook baloney is so risibly far from true that Reuters finds it worth refuting:
South Dakota’s estimated population was 884,659 in 2019 ( www.census.gov/quickfacts/SD ), according to the United States Census Bureau. The claim that there have been four COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in South Dakota is false. According to data from the CDC ( here ), there have been 896.1 cases per 100,000 people, with 7,906 total cases reported in the state.
Neither of these numbers is the lowest in the nation, as the posts allege. States with lower numbers of total cases than South Dakota are Hawaii (1,273), Vermont (1,350), Alaska (1,874), Wyoming (2,126), Montana (2,533), Maine (3,711), West Virginia (5,042), North Dakota (5,126), and New Hampshire (6,203).
…The claim that South Dakota has suffered the “lowest job loss in (the) nation” during the pandemic is also false. A Reuters analysis comparing February 2020 unemployment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ( here ) to the latest available data from June 2020 ( here ) found that the state with the lowest increase in unemployment so far during the pandemic is Kentucky, where the unemployment rate increased by just 0.1% from 4.2% to 4.3%.
Following Kentucky were Utah (where unemployment increased by 2.6%); Idaho (2.9%); Mississippi (3.3%), Maine, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia (all 3.4%); New Mexico (3.5%); Montana (3.6%); and Nebraska (3.8%). South Dakota, which tied with North Dakota at 3.9%, increased from 3.3% unemployment in February to 7.2% unemployment in June [“Fact Check: South Dakota Does Not Have Four Covid-19 Infections per 100,000 People,” Reuters, 2020.07.21].
Governor Kristi Noem and her followers want to believe that sitting around and doing nothing can be spun as a public health success. Noem do-nothing junketeering has not resulted in the best coronavirus or jobless numbers in the nation.
Based on what I see around Rapid City tourism is in full swing and the covid rally is two weeks away. We dodged a bullet when the orange idiot held his 4th show rally up on the mountain, the bullets will be much harder to dodge in August.
What I find alarming is that the white population in South Dakota is 86% of the total population of the state, but the infection rate in South Dakota for whites is 38% of the total infected population from COVID-19 in our state.
So in other words, while white political leaders in this state are claiming success against COVID-19, these same political leaders are saying nothing about how this virus is ravaging the minority population in our state.
Of the current 8143 cases of COVID-19 in this state, 5049 of them are found within the minority population in this state, which means that one out of every 24 people of color in our state have tested positive for COVID-19, while only one out of every 236 white people in our state have tested positive for COVID-19 so far.
Given these alarming numbers among our minority population, I find it gravely sad that our white political leaders in this state are claiming success, when it is not a success story at all. I can only wonder what they would say if one in every 24, or 30,458 white people were inflicted with COVID-19 in our state right now?
grudznick suggests staying home and not going galavanting about out there where the covid bugs roam. It seems to be the best practice.
Note that the SD dept of Health reports 7214 “recovered” cases. Many of these people will NEVER totally recover…they are the silent casualties who will face a lifetime of fatigue, muscle pain, confusion, reduced strength, memory loss, and/or many other nasty symptoms. They will be denied disability claims and face a loss of health care coverage.
Again, are we going to let the facts get in the way of a self-aggrandizing GOP narrative?
World War II killed in action will be surpassed by the trump virus and in a shorter period of time. EB5 Short Rounds and Waldo…er Thune, have been willing accomplices and are as drenched in innocent American blood as the cause of the trump virus hisownself.
“In 1364 days of the war, there were 291,557 combat deaths (KIA) and 113,842 other deaths.
The average number of deaths per day was 214 combat and 83 other.
In our most costly battle (the Battle of the Bulge), we lost 19,276 people at 470 per day.
Now, compare that to COVID-19 (from UW IHME(***)):
In 143 days (plus or minus) since March 1, there have been approximately 143,000 deaths from COVID-19
The average number of deaths per day over that period is approximately1,000 – almost five times as many combat deaths per day in WWII.
On April 16, 2020, there were 2,310 reported COVID-19 deaths – almost five times as many combat deaths per day in the Battle of the Bulge.
Today, approximately 850 people are dying per day – four times the number that died in combat during WWII.
It is possible that by the end of this year the COVID-19 deaths will surpass WWII combat deaths.”https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/7/24/1963323/-Right-now-4X-as-many-Americans-are-dying-per-day-from-COVID-19-than-died-per-day-fighting-in-WWII?utm_campaign=recent
Damn, the trump virus along with republican accomplices, will soon be in the running for killing more Americans than all of our wars combined. Booyah!
… and they wonder that Mayor Steve doesn’t trust ‘em.
Still trending upward like an Atlas rocket, Jerry….
Coronavirus Cases:
4,224,053
Deaths:
148,103
Two more milestones reached today. Still can’t believe this is not a hoax. I mean, drumpf seems so honest and trustworthy….
I see Charlie Hoffman posts often on FB touting how well Kruel Kristi is doing for SoDak.
How are you feeling about the corrected info here Charlie? Are you satisfied with the Covid strategy, such as it is?
Toughen up folks, or blame your “god” for all the libbies dying everyday in California. You don’t really think Mr. Trump caused the covid bug hatch, do you?
grudznick, your attempt at a straw man again lands unsuccessfully. Of course nobody – even we lobbies – dod not think the President created the Covid bug; however, he has failed SPECTACULARLY in his handling of this crisis. His psychopathic inability to look beyond his own profit has served this nation poorly in this crisis.
I also blame the President for draining our national treasury to facilitate his gushing for approval from bloated billionaires, which will make the recovery from this crisis far more difficult for the most vulnerable in our society.
Fortunately, our semi-secluded state has not suffered the national pandemic on the level of many other states (yet). But on this I am reminded of a quip about the fortunate being born on third base and thinking they hit a triple. Governor Noem’s legacy will be written in how she chooses preserve our healthy advantage and how she chooses to help SD with the federal funding at her disposal. I am willing to bet all the money in my pocket that the glowing view of how spectacular SD is will abruptly change when next year’s budget has to be decided — then we will hear about how SD’s wellbeing was crushed by Covid.
I strongly now suspect that US citizens will not pull their heads out of their fourth point of contact until after the trump virus kills millions in the US. Too many have no concept or character for personal and public responsibility.
You don’t really think Mr. Trump caused the covid bug hatch, do you?
Actually, he might just as well have. You see with many felony crimes people not directly associated with the criminal act can be charged with the same felony counts as the perps.
drumpf had every chance to nip most of this pandemic in the bud and blew it off as a hoax, and until recently, still believed it will just go away on its own.
Make no mistake, little grudzilla piglet, he is guilty as charged.
Let’s not forget that, while our SD numbers increase, Kristi is (1) actively pursuing tourists and other visitors to South Dakota from ANYWHERE and (2) using the $1.3 billion coronavirus relief funds to pay law enforcement salaries. No word of spending any of it to, say, pay for all the cleaning supplies and masks that will be required to reopen the schools, not to mention more teachers to teach smaller class sizes. Or for that matter, free testing for anyone who wants it.
Oh, and BTW, I just checked – 105 more cases TODAY in Sioux Falls. We’re doing great.
That racial disparity is alarming, JKC. I suggest that disparity comes in part from the fact that we exploit immigrant labor in dangerously crowded ag-industrial meat plants where greedy capitalist managers and weak union representation make it harder for workers to protect themselves and their paychecks.
An anonymous reader notices that USA Today does the same fact check as Reuters and comes to the same conclusion, that South Dakota’s non-shutdown does not appear to have produced notably better results.
This is the trump virus, no matter what you say about Covid bugs and all of that gravy talk. Your boy caused all this death and the destruction of this country. Your party screwed the pooch Mr. grudznick with this trump virus, woof woof.
Sundays for the past month or so have been notorious dead spots for recording covid deaths. Today, however, might be an exception as it looks like we may hit 150k by late evening. Count is around 149,700 deaths now.
I saw what you did there mfi…good one “notorious dead spots for recording covid deaths”.
Never even thought about my choice of words until you brought it up. No pun intended.
Not gonna get there, tonight.
Coronavirus Cases:
4,366,682
Deaths:
149,783
COVID-19 in America:
It took 97 days to get to 1,000,000 cases
41 days to get to 2,000,000 cases
29 days to get to 3,000,000 cases
14 days to get to 4,000,000 cases
How long until 5,000,000?
Of course this is Trump’s pandemic – no, he didn’t cause the virus, but he did (and is still doing) everything possible to make sure that the US did nothing it should to mitigate and/or prevent virus spread. From calling it a hoax to “it’ll be gone by Easter”, to saying it will all go away very soon, to refusing to do any national anything – even the states are on their own re PPE, etc. – The 4,000,000+ cases are all his. And meanwhile, he’s doing the exact same thing he accused China of – trying to delay / slow down testing, hide the numbers, obscure the numbers, and flat out lying about the pandemic.
It didn’t take long to go from “I alone can fix it” to “No, I don’t take any responsibility.” But it’s his.