The Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board Requesting more COVID Measures

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - Coronavirus cases are surging across Pennington county. The Great Plains Tribal leaders health board worries that without a mask mandate and shelter in place restrictions, coronavirus cases and deaths will keep skyrocketing.

President and CEO Jerilyn Church of the Great Plains Tribal Health and Oyate health center says we can help contain the spread.

“We can stop this curve from going straight up to bringing it to a place where it’s manageable if we don’t do that, our hospitals are going to be overrun with cases our clinics are going to be even more overburdened,” Church said.

Church says Native American communities are taking this pandemic seriously, and the restrictions that tribal leaders have put in place are working due to the data.

“During the Sturgis Rally, the death rate among Native Americans was at 24% now the death rate is at 14%,” Church said.

The Great Plains Health board is worried about the well-being of South Dakotans and medical staff.

" We have to take this as though none of us are exempt from getting seriously ill or dying from this virus,” Church said.

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