Noem pushes emergency bills, but doctors say it’s not enough
4 years, 9 months ago

Noem pushes emergency bills, but doctors say it’s not enough

Associated Press  

Kristi Noem on Thursday said she will pitch legislators on a series of 10 emergency bills to address what she believes will be a months-long fight against the coronavirus, but a leading doctor’s group says she is not currently doing enough to stop its spread. “In an effort to provide my team the flexibility it needs to respond to these situations, I’m asking legislators to support a handful of measures that will enable the government to take action to protect public health and reflect the reality of social distancing,” Noem said in a statement. The governor is also pushing to allow the Secretary of Health to put restrictions on group gatherings, add COVID-19 to the list of reasons the Department of Health can petition courts to close businesses, waive in-person teaching requirements and state assessments for schools, extend the grace period for driver’s license renewals, allow her to suspend certain statutes during emergencies, and grant counties the authority to pass emergency measures to close businesses. Noem also said that tests returned negative for three women who were apprehended after escaping from the Women’s Prison in Pierre, where an inmate tested positive this week.

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History of this topic

Noem’s travel builds profile as virus surges in South Dakota
4 years, 1 month ago

Noem’s travel builds profile as virus surges in South Dakota

Associated Press  

— South Dakota Gov. South Dakota leads the nation over the last two weeks in COVID-19 deaths per capita and new cases per capita, according to Johns Hopkins researchers. The state has seen a downward tick in the daily average of new cases, but one in every 68 people in South Dakota tested positive in the past two weeks, while …

South Dakota’s Noem speaks at RNC as state virus cases rise
4 years, 4 months ago

South Dakota’s Noem speaks at RNC as state virus cases rise

Associated Press  

— From the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump called on governors to “liberate” residents, reopen schools and get businesses back to normal. In return, Noem praised Trump as having “lifted people of all races and backgrounds out of poverty,” despite a global pandemic his administration was slow to address, which led to a deep economic recession. …

Noem vaunts hands-off virus approach; testing draws concern
4 years, 6 months ago

Noem vaunts hands-off virus approach; testing draws concern

Associated Press  

— South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Wednesday doubled-down on her hands-off approach to the coronavirus pandemic by pointing to the state’s low hospitalization numbers, and cast doubt on key recommendations from public health officials like wearing a mask. Noem has said repeatedly that “science, facts and data” lead her decisions, but that appears to come down to a single …

Lawmakers considering emergency bills for COVID-19 fight
4 years, 9 months ago

Lawmakers considering emergency bills for COVID-19 fight

Associated Press  

Kristi Noem has asked South Dakota lawmakers to act Monday on 10 pieces of emergency legislation aimed at a months-long COVID-19 fight. The emergency legislation covers a range of issues, including pushing local elections back until at least June, allowing the secretary of health to put restrictions on group gatherings and creating a fund of about $11 million for loans …

Noem says COVID-19 will last months despite Trump’s optimism
4 years, 9 months ago

Noem says COVID-19 will last months despite Trump’s optimism

Associated Press  

Kristi Noem said Tuesday that South Dakota may be as much as eight weeks away from the peak of the COVID-19 crisis and needs to limit business activity, even as President Donald Trump considers relaxing national guidance. When the governor was asked if she is considering lifting her executive order that recommends businesses to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer …

Noem asks restaurants, businesses to restrict operations
4 years, 9 months ago

Noem asks restaurants, businesses to restrict operations

Associated Press  

Kristi Noem on Monday issued an executive order asking businesses to restrict gatherings and hospitals to postpone elective procedures because COVID-19 is spreading in South Dakota, a move that had some elected officials asking why the Republican was asking for such action rather than demanding it. That law also says the disaster response has to be “beyond local government capability.” …

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