Racing To The COVID Bottom: South Dakota Edition

South Dakotans have the grave misfortune of having a reckless, ignorant and ambitious Trumpist Governor, the abominable Kristi "KOVID Kristi" Noem.  She's been viciously obdurate in resisting public health measures that would curb the spread of the virus in South Dakota, for "freedumb," "owning the libs," and "personal choice" (excepting women's reproductive rights, of course). As a result, her state has seen a roughly SIX-FOLD rise in COVID cases in the past two weeks, after  thousands of bikers descended on Sturgis for their annual rally which she actively promoted. As NBC News reports:

"South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths, up from 644 cases in the 14 days preceding it. That makes it the state with the largest percent increase in Covid cases in the past two weeks.

The state's rate of Covid-19 infections per capita in the past two weeks is in the bottom half of the country, but it's the sharp and sudden increase in case counts that sets it apart."  (our emphasis)

As a result, hospitals there are in a state of emergency after the surge in admissions for COVID, with unvaccinated patients comprising 99% of the admissions. South Dakota's medical professionals are voicing 

"Dr. Shankar Kurra, the vice president of medical affairs at Monument Health, which operates hospitals serving western South Dakota, including one in Sturgis, said the events at this year’s rally feel like 'a replay of last year.'

In June, Monument Health had three Covid patients, a pandemic low for hospitalizations, and Kurra said he thought that number might drop to zero. Now, the number is up to 58, about half of what it was at its peak in the winter. The people in the hospital are younger and 'almost 99.9% are unvaccinated,' he said."  (our emphasis)

Meanwhile, Noem, who sees herself on the Republican presidential ticket in 2024, is vigorously fighting any mask or vaccination mandates in South Dakota. She's been theatrically posing as a foil to President Biden, either on holding a fireworks display at a bone-dry Mt. Rushmore, sending South Dakota National Guard to the southern border, or in resisting mandates, tweeting on August 23 after the Pfizer vaccine was approved,

"If @joebiden illegally mandates vaccines, I will take every action available under the law to protect South Dakotans from the federal government."

Yes, Lady Liberty you do that, even though you lack the authority. Protecting South Dakotans from the Federal Government is one thing, protecting them from COVID and Kristi Noem is much harder and more imperative.

(photo: Watch out for his hands, Guv.  AP/Susan Walsh)