Mayor asks governor for three-week shelter-in-place order for Sioux Falls area
April 13, 2020
Mayor Paul TenHaken said at Monday’s briefing that he has asked Gov. Kristi Noem to issue a shelter-in-place order for three weeks for Minnehaha and Lincoln counties.
“A shelter-in-place order is needed now. It is needed today,” TenHaken said.
With the growing number of COVID-19 cases related to an outbreak at the Smithfield plant, the action for the Sioux Falls area is needed now, he said.
If that number continues to grow as it has the past few days, that’s a “very bad outlook,” TenHaken said.
As of Sunday’s report for coronavirus cases in South Dakota, 293 Smithfield employees have tested positive. The state total is 730, with 527 cases in Minnehaha County. Statewide, there have been six deaths and 197 people who have recovered.
Monday’s report, which was released after the mayor’s briefing, showed the Smithfield total growing by 57 people. The state total has reached 868 positive cases, with 127 new cases in Minnehaha County for a total of 654. Lincoln County has 50 cases, an increase of four from the previous report.
The Smithfield plant will be closed “indefinitely” beginning later this week.
The governor’s action is needed because the city’s ability to take that same action would take seven days to go through the regulatory process, TenHaken said. He sent the formal request to Noem on Saturday, he said.
In an executive order Noem issued last week, a shelter-in-place order for the two counties involved those 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions. TenHaken wants that expanded to all residents in the two counties.
Essential activities, such as buying groceries or caring for others, would continue to be allowed. Restaurants would be allowed to continue to serve takeout, he said.
