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“Battle for Dells” T-shirt Fundraiser

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Quarrier and Cardinals fans….we are putting together a fundraiser for both schools!  Due to the the covid pandemic and the schools having to limit admittance into events, we’d like to give back to the schools to help them offset the lost ticket sales.

Since both the girls and the boys basketball teams are going to be playing one another in the Entringer Classic this year, we’ve put together a shirt design for the games. There are three color options. You can choose Red (Cardinals), Orange (Quarriers), or Grey (Nuetrual). If you choose a red shirt, all proceeds from that color go to St Mary. Likewise, if you choose orange, all the proceeds go to Dell Rapids Public. If you choose grey, we’ll split the proceeds in half between the two schools.

The online store is open now. Get your orders in now because the store will close on Dec 5th to make sure shirts are done before the girls game on Dec 19th.

https://https-sungoldsports-com.printavo.com/merch/battle-for-dells-2020

Dell Rapids Crowns Homecoming King and Queen at Coronation

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Even with all the changes to the homecoming celebration this year due to Covid, Dell Rapids High School was able to hold their Coronation on Monday, October 12th.  It was a shortened event this year, but a new homecoming king and queen were crowned.

This year’s Dell Rapids Royalty Candidates were Colin Rentz, Becky Dorn, Coby Maeschen, Sami Schmidt, Logan Anderson, Kat Fletcher, Connor Rentz, and Sam Price.

Prior to the crowning of the King and Queen, Superintendent Dr. Summer Schultz said in her remarks, “This is quite a crew right here in front of you.  If I had to go through a year like we are going through, I couldn’t pick a better senior class.  And when you’re chosen to be in the homecoming royalty court, that shows that your peers respect you, and in a year like this, they are looking for any sort of normalcy and any sort of leadership that they can lean on.  Congratulations to all of you for being those people that your peers and the entire high school has picked.”

Last year’s King and Queen, Karsen Welbig and Mallory Haak crowned the 2020 Homecoming King and Queen, Logan Anderson and Kat Fletcher.

Dell Rapids Band and Choir Hold Outdoor Concert

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The Dell Rapids band and choir held a unique concert on Thursday, October 8th.  The musicians held an outdoor concert at the band shell at Dell Rapids City Park at 11:00 a.m.  Audience members were encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the outdoor concert.

Dell Rapids High School band director Karla Pulscher said, “Not having marching band this year due to all our contests being cancelled, I wanted to have a performance sometime this fall.  And being outdoors, everyone can be socially distant, and we can also play some of the songs that we started on last year but was unable to due to the shutdown.”

Putting together an outdoor concert was not without challenges.  Pulscher said that there was always a worry about weather.   The weather cooperated very well for the event.  The students had to battle a little bit of wind, which required the use of clothes pins to keep the music from flying away.  Pulscher also said the guitar players had to find battery-operated amps.

With the quick plan of having the outdoor concert and holding it in the middle of the day, Pulscher was happy with the turnout.  “I think there was about 50 people there.  I think it was a good turnout for a daytime event that we just put together in a few weeks of school,” she said.

2020 Homecoming to Look Different in Dell Rapids

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Homecoming for both Dell Rapids St Mary and Dell Rapids High Schools is scheduled for the week of October 12th – 16th.  However, this year things will look vastly different than years past due to the Covid pandemic.

The biggest change this year is that there will not be a community-wide homecoming parade this year.  Traditionally the two schools and the community come together for a parade that runs through downtown Dell Rapids, but because of limited social distancing options and increased interpersonal interactions from a community-wide parade, the schools have decided not to have one this year.

Dell Rapids St Mary will be having their own “mini” parade around the school.  Their parade will start in front of the school on State Ave and move south to 8th St.  The parade will then go east on 8th St to Garfield Ave before turning north and ending on the corner of Garfield Ave and 9th St.  Other changes to the St Mary homecoming celebration include a change to the coronation.  This year’s coronation will be held on Sunday, October 11th at 3:00 p.m. and will be open only to senior parents and the student body, but the event will be streamed on the St Mary YouTube channel.  A pep rally will be held on Friday, October 16th at 9:30 a.m., but that too will be limited to students only.  An “Olympics” event will be held on Friday at 9:45 and will be open only to the senior parents.

Dell Rapids public school is still finalizing some of the standard homecoming activities such as the royalty court.  The school announced in an email to parents that there will not be a homecoming dance  held this year.   Some other activities being planned are a “reverse parade” for the elementary and middle school students, as well as a pep rally.  Both of those activities will be held during the school day and not open to the public.  More building-specific details on activities will be shared with students in the coming days.

At this time, both of the homecoming football games are planned to played as scheduled on Friday, October 16th.  Both games are scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m.

More than 8,000 Free Meals Served at Dell Rapids School District During Pandemic

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Photo submitted by Rachelle Loutsch/Lunchtime Solutions

DELL RAPIDS, SD — More than 8,000 free meals were served to the children and families of Dell Rapids School District while schools were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovations that made that possible will help Lunchtime Solutions and Dell Rapids schools continue to provide healthy meals to students into the new school year.

“We want to make sure that keeping children well-fed is one less worry for families in such a chaotic, stressful time,” said Tammy Coyle, Vice President of Operations for Lunchtime Solutions.

Under the direction of Food Service Director Deb Emmert and kitchen staff, Dell Rapids schools held their emergency breakfast and lunch program from March 16 through May 15th.  Meals were distributed in two locations from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM each weekday. The district also provided deliveries to students who were not able to get to the schools during the designated times.

These “grab and go meals” were available because the USDA granted schools waivers to run the Summer Food Service Program, which is universally free for children ages 0-18.

“It truly was a team effort to turn our regular program served in the lunchroom into a 100 percent take-out-based option, almost overnight.”

Based in North Sioux City, Lunchtime Solutions partners with 51 districts to manage their food service programs, ranging in size from over 4,000 students to under 200. Those districts together have served 2.3 million meals to their students since mid-March. Since schools were closed across the Midwest, having access to free meals that are well-balanced and taste good has never been more important for children and their families, many of whom are still dealing with a loss of income, Coyle said.

“Almost all our schools needed and requested this service, not just the large ones,” Coyle said. “The fact that our staff have served more than 2 million meals since mid-March speaks to how much this has truly been needed.”

Coming into the fall semester, Lunchtime Solutions has worked with Dell Rapids schools to provide serving solutions that fit each location’s needs, Coyle said. Menus have been modified to reduce self-service, and social distancing has been put into effect in the lunchroom area.

“Our teams will continue to successfully adapt our programs as situations change, “she said. “We could never do this without the dedicated staff who work these programs with the help of school district staff and volunteers. Providing nutritious meals to children who may otherwise not have them is very important to us, and we know it is to the schools and communities we serve, as well.”

PHOTO CUTLINE — Photo provided by Rachelle Loutsch/Lunchtime Solutions

An assortment of food, including sandwiches, salads, fruits, vegetables, cereal and milk have been available in grab and go meals being served at Lunchtime Solutions schools.

Dell Rapids Public Moves to Tier Two for Activities

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Image from CDC website

In a message that was released on Wednesday, September 2nd, the Dell Rapids Public High School is moving to Tier Two for activity attendance.  This is in place starting with Thursday’s home volleyball match against Sioux Falls Christian.

In the statement Activity Director Jeff Dvorak said that the school may stay at Tier Two for events next week, or it may move back to Tier One.

Here is what Tier Two means for those that want to attend activities at Dell Rapids High School:

  • Each athlete and coach will receive four vouchers to distribute as they choose.
  • Staff members must have and show a staff ID.  This is good for staff only.  Spouses of staff must have a voucher.
  • A middle school or high school student will be allowed into the events by being students.  No voucher is needed.
  • All other fans must have a pink game voucher to be admitted.
  • Elementary students in Grades 4 and below must have a voucher to attend the event.
  • Children not yet in school do not need a voucher and will be allowed into the event with a parent that has a voucher.
  • A voucher just allows you to be admitted to the event.  Admission must still be paid.

Postponed Events and Spring Sports Seasons Officially Cancelled in South Dakota

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With the Governor’s announcement of in-person school closure for the remainder of the school year, all remaining SDHSAA events for 2019-20, to include all spring activities and all postponed winter events, are cancelled. This is an unprecedented time across our state and country, and we do not make this decision lightly. We thank all of the participants, their coaches/directors/advisors/administration, their parents, and everyone else who has dedicated tremendous amounts of time, passion, and effort to these events. To our senior participants- we thank you for everything you have done for your schools and communities and wish you the very best in your bright futures. This is difficult, but the lessons you’ve learned and friendships you’ve made through high school activities will last your lifetime. The cancellation will be formalized at the April 21st Regular Meeting of the SDHSAA Board of Directors. We look forward to the resumption of high school activities during the 2020-21 school year, and will continue work on those events at this time. The SDHSAA thanks everyone involved for their patience and understanding throughout this process.

– Dr. Dan Swartos, SDHSAA Executive Director

– Dan Swartos, SDHSAA Executive Director

Letter from Dr. Schultz – 4/4/20

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I hope this update finds you healthy and safe at home!  I worry that by press time, some of what I type will be irrelevant or substantially different.  Unpredictable is an understatement, and although a tremendous amount of thought and concern goes into every decision, I am simply up against an opponent that is volatile, unprecedented and deadly.

As I type this article, I am reminded that today is supposed to be DRHS prom. It’s easy to assume this is a small thing, and our students will adjust accordingly.  I know them, and they will, but I feel awful every time I take something away from them.  Tonight is supposed to be about dressing up, dancing, and making memories with friends.  For now, I’ve also taken away the state basketball tournament and possibly an entire spring activity and performance season.  Had I known the final day of the state wrestling tournament was possibly my last chance this year to look down and support Quarrier student-athletes, I would have stayed a little longer and taken it all in.

As our community adjusts to a new normal, DRPS teachers and the majority of staff will continue working from home. A limited number of individuals will report to work, although this may continuously decrease in the coming weeks.  We have prioritized specific duties to implement community service through our Grab & Go lunch sites, meal delivery, and Emergency Haven.  As you may have seen, we have filed for waivers, allowing us to feed any child 0-18 at our two distribution sites.  Weekly signups are posted every Sunday and I appreciate a headcount for planning purposes.

South Dakota’s “Veto Day” provided SB188 and 189. These bills waive requirements surrounding assessment and instructional minutes.  What these bills don’t do, is provide guidance surrounding credits, graduation requirements, or grades. The Department of Education reinforced that schools are still expected to keep students engaged in the educational process.  A state workgroup is being formed to provide guidance surrounding the specific items in flux, therefore we will continue to do the best job we can at educating students in what I now call “emergency remote instruction”.  I use this term because although my staff is tirelessly implementing virtual education opportunities, they haven’t been intentionally trained or provided appropriate planning time for this.  Parents too have been thrown into the roles of instructor and tutor which is adding another layer to an already stressful time. I have never been prouder of this team of teachers and staff.  They continue to surprise me every day with their courageous attempts to think outside the box.

At present time, school will resume May 4, however, I will continue to seek and take guidance from education, health, and governmental agencies.  As mentioned earlier, this situation is rapidly changing and may escalate quickly within our community.  I will do my best to keep stakeholders up to date with the most recent decisions and recommendations related to the Dell Rapids School District. I encourage you to visit our Website and Facebook page often.  These provide frequent updates and I also visit weekly with Matt Larson at Big Sioux Media.

Please continue to support our local businesses.  These individuals are always supportive of my students, and our sponsorship requests.  They need us now more than ever and I for one am taking advantage of the unique ways they have continued to serve our community.  Stay safe and I look forward to better days ahead!

~Dr. Schultz

Community Updates on COVID-19

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The state of South Dakota has a website that has more information about the virus, COVID.sd.gov.

Big Sioux Media has had an opportunity to talk with a few people and groups on how the COVID-19 situation is having an impact on them and the community.  Below are the full interviews we’ve done to date:

April 9th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics include updates to remaining school year calendar, locker cleanup, textbook drop off, graduation, summer Haven, and construction projects.
March 31st:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics include lunch program update, building and grounds use update, and legislative bills update.
March 25th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics include extended school and building closure, e-learning, activity, lunch program, and emergency Haven updates.
March 20th:
Justin Weiland, Dell Rapids City Administrator		 Justin shares information from the city during the COVID-19 situation.
March 19th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz gave us another update of things happening at Dell Rapids School. Topics for this update include lunches, prom, critical infrastructure employee child care, and internet access.
March 19th:
Brittany Moeller, Dell Rapids Carnegie Library		 The explains some of the changes happening at the library during the COVID-19 social distancing recommendations.
March 16th:
Dr. Summer Schultz, Dell Rapids Superintendent		 Dr. Summer Schultz tells us about what the school is currently doing during this COVID-19 situation.

If you are in need of assistance over the coming weeks, please read the information on the poster or call 211 or visit www.dellrapidsrelief.com.  If you’re able to volunteer to help those in need, please visit www.dellrapidsrelief.com

List of community updates:

  • Driver’s Ed Registration:  Registration will not occur on Wednesday, April 22nd.   Information will be released soon for upcoming plans for the class.
  • Dell Rapids St Mary School:  Closed through end of the school year.  Graduation postponed until June 12th.
  • Dell Rapids Schools:  Closed through end of the school year.  Graduation changes TBD.
  • Relay for Life:  The 2020 Relay for Life event in Dell Rapids for July 24th has been cancelled
  • City Playgrounds:  Effective immediately, all Dell Rapids playground equipment, ball fields, basketball/tennis courts are closed to the public.  The trails and open park spaces remain open.
  • County Fair:  The dining area will be closed, but will continue to offer food out of our hot case and our full grill menu to go.  County Fair also asks patrons not bring in their reusable bags into the store right now.
  • Lewis Drug:  Pharmacy access will be drive-thru only.  OTC products will still be available to purchase at the window or through grocery store check-out.
  • Pizza Ranch:  No dine-in, but still open for carryout and delivery
  • PINZ:  Bowling and dine-in closed, but will be open Wed-Sat 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. for carryout or delivery (11-1 pm, 5-7 pm) of meal orders
  • Norby’s:  Norby’s will have their menu items available “to go” and for curb side service.  Full menu is on their Facebook page
  • Papa’s Pub:  The main dining area will be closed.  The bar side will remain open for carryout and delivery.
  • LaDelle and Fourth:  Lobby is open for takeout and also offering curbside delivery
  • Dells Theater:  Closed until further notice, but the lobby is open for concessions on Friday and Saturday for popcorn and snacks
  • Chase the Ace Fundraiser:  It’s NOT canceled…it’s just PAUSED! When we fight this virus off these ladies WILL be back on Wednesdays and will pick up where they left off at Norbys’!
  • Dells Nursing and Rehab Center:  Due to the number of COVID-19 cases reported in South Dakota, we are NOT allowing visitors or volunteers at this time.
  • Dell Rapids City Offices:  Closed to the public, but email or call for questions.  Employees still working
  • Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library:  The library will be closed until further notice.  Still doing the Facebook live story times and chapter book readings.
  • Click here to read Dell Rapids St Mary School updated policy on building use
  • Click here to read Dell Rapids School updated policy on building use
  • Dell Rapids St Mary Carnival:  Postponed until June 9th
  • Dell Rapids St Mary Prom:  Postponed with a date TBD
  • HS Club Baseball:  Entire season is cancelled.
  • SDHSAA:  All spring sports seasons are cancelled as well as the postponed winter events.

Covid-19 Hits the Area

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Image from CDC website

The state of South Dakota has a website that has more information about the virus, COVID.sd.gov.

UPDATED (March 13th, 2020 – throughout day) – The following events in the area have had changes due to the virus:

  • Dell Rapids update for March 16th – 20th:
    • Upon recommendation from the Governor’s Office, and in conjunction with spring break, DRPS will be closed March 16-20.  At this time, we intend to open on March 23, however, the situation could change based on further recommendations. In the event our closure lasts longer than anticipated, students were sent home with district-issued devices.
    • Teachers will report next week, and we intend to provide basic, remote learning options for all grade levels on Tuesday and Wednesday.  The lessons and activities are not mandated, rather they will provide a valuable experience for staff, students and parents. Any feedback you can provide our staff will be helpful and this will be the first “test run” for most teachers.
    • I realize this type of closure makes it difficult for families who depend on the school lunch program.  We will be providing “grab and go” lunches in both the middle (south) and elementary school lobbies on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  Any student can come between 11:30-12:15 and utilize their traditional form of lunch payment.  If you would benefit from a delivered lunch, this will be an option as well.  A brief survey will be distributed this weekend, allowing us to get an estimated headcount and arrange deliveries.
    • We will continue to provide COVID-19 updates on the district web site and Facebook page. Our Brightarrow notification system is having technical issues, therefore, I may not be able to alert you to new notifications.
    • Thank you for your patience this afternoon.  I wanted to due diligence on the situation and felt all options needed to be explored.  I want nothing more than to see all my students back safe and healthy on March 23!   –Dr. Summer Schultz
  • Dell Rapids St. Mary School update for March 16th – 20th:
    • Following the recommendation of Governor Noem, St. Mary will be closed next week Monday-Wednesday in addition to Thursday and Friday’s planned Spring Break. No students shall report to buildings during this time. St. Mary staff will report at normal hours on Monday. These days will be treated the same as In-Service Days in that there will be no educational requirements during this time.
    • Due to next week’s closure, we are planning to have school on Monday, March 23. This was a scheduled off day but due to these changes we will be adding it as an educational day. We would encourage parents to not change plans that were already scheduled on this day off.
    • Our staff will be using next week to prepare for the potential for online learning in the event of a long-term closure. More information will be communicated with you next week as that plan starts to take shape.
    • A plan for Parent-Teacher Conferences will be made next week as well. We are hoping to keep them on Wednesday with teleconferencing, but need to do more research into what that can look like.
  • The Dell Rapids Medical Group and Hospital is requiring patients to call before going to the hospital. Please follow this request to keep our community and hospital staff safe.
  • At the request of Governor Noem, the remainder of the SDHSAA Class B Girls Basketball tournament is postponed. In addition, all SDHSAA state basketball tournaments for next weekend, along with the Visual Arts competition, are also postponed. The Student Council Convention, all Region music contests, and All-State Band scheduled for later this month are cancelled.This is a difficult decision and comes amid constant conversation and information sharing between the SDHSAA, the Governor’s Office, and the Department of Health. We will evaluate the future of the postponed events in concert with those same entities. The safety of everyone involved is our foremost concern, followed by exploring all options to provide the student-athlete with the opportunity to finish their season.We thank everyone for their patience and understanding in a very difficult time, and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.Dan Swartos, SDHSAA Executive Director
  • DSU is postponing, moving to virtual, or cancelling all events through April 13. This precautionary measure is to lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure to the university community. Updates are available on dsu.edu regarding specific events.


UPDATED (March 12th, 2020 – 10:00 p.m.) – Here is an updated announcement from the Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary Schools:

DRSM School Announcement

UPDATED (March 12th, 2020 – throughout day) – The following events in the area have had changes due to the virus:

  • The Dell Rapids Middle School choir’s National Anthem performance at the Sioux Falls Stampede game scheduled for March 27th has been cancelled due to the hockey league suspending games.
  • The Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library has posted this update to their Facebook Page:
    In effort to protect our patrons and staff from the continuing spread of influenza and the rapid spread of COVID-19, the library has been and will be implementing the following changes immediately:

    • ALL library programming is cancelled through the month of April. You can still join us online TUESDAY mornings at 9:00 AM for our Storytime Live on Facebook.
    • All stuffed animals and toys have been pulled from the children’s area, cleaned and stored until further notice.
    • All library surfaces and computers are being cleaned daily.We are so sad to have to cancel our library programs but the health and safety of our patrons and staff are the most important thing to us. We are looking forward to finding new and creative ways to reach out to everyone online via Facebook Live and other social media outlets.We are still OPEN to the public, but will NOT be having any programming events until further notice.Please stay tuned for any further updates.
  • The 2019-20 Big Sioux Youth Basketball League (Harrisburg) tournaments have been cancelled. This includes the 2nd Grade Boys and 2nd-6th Grade Girls Tournaments that were scheduled to be played on Mar 14 and the 3rd-6th Grade Boys Tournaments that were scheduled to be played on Mar 20-21. Tournament games will not be rescheduled.
  • The SDHSAA has implemented a limited ticket policy for the the girls State B Tournament in Spearfish starting with tonight’s session.
  • The South Dakota Wrestling Coaches Association has officially canceled the AAU youth regional tourney on Saturday at the Corn Palace and the youth state tourney on March 28-29 in Rapid City
  • Mayor Paul Ten Haken of the City of Sioux Falls is declaring a state of emergency in Sioux Falls as a result of coronavirus outbreak.  This emergency limits all large gatherings of 250 people or more in Sioux Falls for the next 14 days at city-owned facilities.
  • All public universities in South Dakota will extend their spring break by one week to Friday, March 22nd and cancel non-essential travel
  • Dakota Wesleyan University will be extending spring break for students through Tuesday, March 17. All classes currently being delivered face-to-face will transition to an online format beginning on Wednesday, March 18. The anticipated date for resumption of face-to-face course delivery is Monday, March 30.
  • The NAIA has cancelled the men’s and women’s national basketball tournaments.  The men were playing at the Sanford Pentagon, and the women were playing in Sioux City.
  • The Indoor Football League (Sioux Falls Storm play in this league) will suspend its season following games Saturday
  • The NCAA has cancelled all winter and spring sports championships.


Original Story (March 11th, 2020) – As the Covid-19 virus spreads across the country and globe, the virus has now reached South Dakota and the area.  The South Dakota Department of Health confirmed five positive tests on Tuesday, March 10th and three more on Wednesday, March 11th.  The state has had 27 tests come back negative with 11 more pending tests.  There has also been one death in South Dakota from a positive test in Pennington County.

Minnehaha County has three of the eight positive tests as of Wednesday.  The West Central School District closed their schools on Wednesday and they will remain closed until Monday, March 16th for deep cleaning.  Augustana University in Sioux Falls is extending its spring break for students until Friday, March 20th.  Several events in Sioux Falls have also had change of plans.  The Men’s NAIA Division II National Basketball Tournament being held at the Sanford Pentagon will be limited to immediate family and essential personnel only.  No fans will be allowed to attend the games.  The same is true for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls as well as the Women’s NAIA Division II National Basketball Tournament being held in Sioux City.

Dell Rapids and Dell Rapids St Mary schools have not made any announcements of school closings as of now, but they are constantly monitoring the situation in the state.  Dr. Summer Schultz sent an email Wednesday evening, which is shown at the bottom of this page.

Also as of Wednesday afternoon, Executive Director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association Dan Swartos has said the state basketball tournaments will play as planned without restrictions.  The girls class B tournament will be held in Spearfish March 12th – 14th.  The boys class B, girls and boys class A, and girls and boys class AA tournaments will be held March 19th – 21st.   Swartos did mention in a release that they will continue work with the state agencies to monitor and continually reassess the situation.

Experts have said that people should be implementing social distancing/avoid large crowds, have good hygiene which includes washing hands for at least 20 seconds and wash them often, do cleaning of their surroundings, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and if you’re feeling sick to stay home.  The state of South Dakota has a website that has more information about the virus, COVID.sd.gov.

DRHS Covid-19 Email - 3-11-20
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