SDPB's Lori Walsh welcomes Governor Kristi Noem to talk about COVID-19 in South Dakota and what we can expect in the days ahead.
Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.
Lori Walsh: Today, we welcome Governor Kristi Noem to In The Moment to talk about COVID-19 in South Dakota and what we can expect in the days ahead. Governor Noem, thanks for being with us today.
Governor Kristi Noem: Absolutely, Lori. Thank you for inviting me to be with you.
Lori Walsh: I want to talk about Thanksgiving, because it's on so many people's minds, in just a moment, but first, can you tell us what your priorities are as a coronavirus vaccine becomes available? How important is that vaccine to keeping South Dakotans healthy and open for business?
Governor Kristi Noem: Yes, the vaccine will be incredibly important and I'm glad to hear that it'll just be a matter of weeks before it's available to people in South Dakota and across the country. We have had to, for the last several months, put together a distribution plan that we have submitted to the federal government, which they have approved. And it focuses on making sure that our frontline workers are prioritized right away. So our doctors, our nurses, those that are working with folks on the frontline of healthcare, get access to the vaccine as soon as possible.
And then from there, it'll go to protect those vulnerable populations that we've been talking about for months, those that are older that may have underlying conditions that would make them much more susceptible to being in the hospital should they catch a COVID-19. And then, anybody beyond that after that. So our number one goal here, of course, is to get the vaccine to people that are bringing relief and taking care of individuals, and then those that should get very sick if they were to catch the virus.
Lori Walsh: And you think a safe and effective vaccine will be available to some of those South Dakotans who are first on the list, as it were, in the next couple of weeks? Say more about that, please.
Governor Kristi Noem: Hopefully. We have Pfizer and Moderna that have both submitted expedited plans to FDA to get those vaccines approved and distributed. And I think even the federal government will work on pre-positioning some of those vaccines, so that once it is approved, that it's available much quicker. And all indications point to within the next several weeks. So that's good news for us. And what we've seen from the studies and the clinical trials is that it's extremely effective to have these vaccines. Coming back at 90 to 95% effective is really incredible.
There's other vaccines that we've seen in the past that just haven't even had that kind of percentage of protection. And so, our people are excited to get those, get those distributed to people so that we can make sure that we have the kind of staffing in our hospitals that we need and that those folks that are we're very concerned about getting sick are protected as well.
Lori Walsh: For those people who will have a choice about vaccinations, what's your advice to them as the vaccine gets rolled out and becomes more available? How many South Dakotans do you need to say yes to that vaccine?
Governor Kristi Noem: Well, it's certainly going to be optional for them, but I would encourage them to consider getting the vaccine. It is something that will allow us to have an assurance that things can go back to normal even quicker, and that we have the opportunity to protect people whose health might be at grave risk. So I would encourage folks to start studying about the vaccines, to start understanding how they were developed and how they're going to be available, and really go into that decision with all the knowledge of science behind them.
Lori Walsh: South Dakota does not meet the criteria anymore for you're Back to Normal plan that you launched back in May. Can you talk about the new plan, that it reflects where we're at right now, the higher infection rate, the overburdened hospital capacity, nearly 250 deaths we've seen just in the month of November.
Governor Kristi Noem: Well, I'm not certain what you're referring to, to not meeting the criteria of Back to Normal. We do know that we're in a position today that months ago we prepared for. Back in February, March and April, we were all talking about the fact that we could have days where we have a lot of positive cases and that we were going to continue to focus on hospital capacity, on making sure we could take care of folks, and that we would manage our way through this pandemic.
So we're looking forward to people really focusing again and being diligent about washing your hands, about making sure that they're making wise decisions. They're protecting those folks that are vulnerable, allowing them to stay home and protected, and then doing things for your neighbors that really make a world of difference, running errands for them and taking care of them to make sure that they have the ability to stay home if they're scared about catching this virus.
So we're continuing to do exactly what we've done all along and I would say that where we are today is not unexpected. We've seen and known from models and studies and what the experts have told us that we would have more positive cases, but that also we have an opportunity here to make a difference and slow down the spread if we [inaudible 00:05:06] diligence and use personal responsibility to make wise decisions.
Lori Walsh: That Back to Normal plan from May included a downward trajectory of documented cases for 14 days and communities with the same spread. It included a Department of Health capacity to rapidly investigate and initiate containment, hospitals treating patients without crisis care, a rapid response team to support high risk businesses who had a confirmed case. A lot of those, back in May, schools were all remote and you were encouraging them to do limited check-ins before the end of the year and encouraging people to start transitioning back from work at home to work based on those criteria, which it doesn't seem like we are currently here in the month of November consistently.
Governor Kristi Noem: I'm not sure which ones of those are not true, because we are seeing the infection rate go up and then go back down. And we've expected that. We're certainly not on a steady path. And and we've seen that continue to be within a threshold that the hospital systems have indicated that they were prepared for. And we still have rapid response teams out there. Our schools are still making adjustments based on infection rates. And all of that Back to Normal plan is being implemented and still is in place, and there've been no changes.
So I think one of the key components that we always need to remember is to keep perspective. And a lot of times, people are focusing on one number and not looking at really what is happening on the ground here in South Dakota and how everyone is working together to take care of folks, to really meet their needs, and that our death rate has gone down per capita. As far as infection rates, we're testing much more than we were back in those months, so we're identifying people quicker and getting them isolated, which is all good things to do. And so, we're in a much better position today to take care of folks than we were back in April, May and June, because we have therapeutics and methods to take care of folks that do get sick that are much more effective. And then, the ability to keep people out of the hospital has been dramatically improved as well.
Lori Walsh: So Governor, we're living in a really divided time. As I'm sure you are well aware of, South Dakotans are tired. They're often angry with their neighbors. They're getting information from vastly different sets of facts. You have people who have been isolating for nine months now and ... I shouldn't say isolating for nine months, but following all the precautions that they believe are keeping them safe for nine months. And then, you have other people who still do not believe either that this is a virus that exists or that it's any worse than the flu. Talk about how you as a governor can bring people together. What are your intentions for bringing people together who are dealing with such different sets of facts in order to not only save lives, but to heal the state and the state that we live in?
Governor Kristi Noem: Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly. I think that this issue has been difficult because of the emotions tied to it. We have a lot of people that are making decisions based out of fear or anger. And in the process, we're forgetting that we're all human beings and we're neighbors, and that we're all in the same boat and we're going to be much more successful if we tackle this challenge together. And that's what I think has been difficult to see, is the division that's been created, not just in South Dakota, but across the country.
So I just keep encouraging people to focus on what we did and prepared for and where we're at today, and that we're in a much better spot than what we thought we would be at this point in time. At this point in time, Dr. Fauci had told me I'd have 10,000 people in the hospital due to COVID-19. And so, our staff is very stressed in our hospital systems. Our nurses and doctors are exhausted and we're working with them to meet needs that they have and that they've identified, but we also know that we've got a lot of hope and we are right around the corner from a vaccine that's going to make all the difference in the world. We've got much better medications that have better impacts on people's health, and that in South Dakota, we know how to work better than any other place, work better together than any other place in the nation.
So I would just encourage people to take the emotion out of the decisions that they're making. We never make good decisions when we're angry or upset, but if we look at the facts and know that maybe our neighbors are going to make a different choice than us, but we can control what our decisions are, and do the research and go forward and focus on the fact that these are our neighbors and that we do love them.
Lori Walsh: I think this is a case, two things. One, there's a real awareness that the choices that our neighbors are making are impacting our health and our infection rate. And two, we're doing better than we expected that we would do, but we're certainly not doing better in November than we were in March or May. And it's hard to get past the death rate, when you look at it from August to November, is not looking nearly as optimistic as the overall death rate when you go back to February and March when we were making different decisions and we had some time to plan.
So for people who are saying, I'm living right here in November, I'm living right now. Those big numbers of how this looks, I don't care about how it compares to other states, the numbers aren't that important to me. What's happening is I'm exhausted from my third 12-hour shift in the ICU and watching so many people die. I'm grieving the loss of someone. It's about so much more than the numbers. Talk about right now in November. Do you think we're doing well?
Governor Kristi Noem: I think we are managing through this together and none of this was unexpected, and none of it was not prepared for. We spent since January planning to take care of people in this situation that we're in here in November, and even for a much worse situation than where we're at today. I ask people all the time, what, "What do they think we should be doing differently? What would actually be working better than what we're doing?" And they come back with an answer that that is oftentimes not directive or not prescriptive, because they don't really know. Frankly, sheltering in place has not worked in other countries. It hasn't worked in other states. Business lockdowns have not slowed down infection spreads and increases in positive cases. And even mask mandates has not slowed down the spread or prevented other states from becoming hotspots.
Today, we're seeing the states that are struggling the most with the positivity rate have had mask mandates in place for months. So why are they now blowing up with new cases? And so, I think if people look at really what is happening in other states and what provisions have been in place, it's very difficult to say that South Dakota is not doing something that they should be doing, because across the board, those types of provisions have not proven to stop COVID-19.
And really the science of a virus is that we still don't have a cure for it. Therefore, we can't stop it. We can slow it down and make some good decisions, and still CDC would recommend that one of the best things somebody can do is to wash their hands. The best thing people can do is to be outside, enjoy the outdoors, so many things we've been encouraging people to do, and to protect that vulnerable population.
Over 54% of the people that we've lost in this have been the elderly, those over 80 years old, and those that really are susceptible to losing their lives because of this. Ninety-two percent of them that passed away had an underlying health condition. So people know if they've got some susceptibility here and we are giving them the flexibility to make the decisions that they need to make to protect their health.
Lori Walsh: I want to make sure that you have an opportunity to clarify, because when we talk about the vulnerable people, many people think that these people who have underlying health conditions, our elders, are being shoved aside and are not as valued.
Governor Kristi Noem: Oh my goodness. Why would they think that?
Lori Walsh: For the numbers. So I just want to give you an opportunity to address that. Yeah.
Governor Kristi Noem: Why would they think that they wouldn't be prioritized? That's our number one priority is protecting them. That's why I talk about them. That's why I define what a vulnerable individual is, and we know how dangerous this is for them. And that's why every day, when we're communicating with folks and hospital systems, is that it's incredibly important that those vulnerable populations are protected and that we give them the opportunity. So we know who is extremely susceptible to this virus, and those elderly folks and those that have comorbidities, those are the ones that we need to be extra precautious with, and to make sure that we're doing what we can to take care of them and get them to therapeutics and get them the vaccine as soon as possible.
Lori Walsh: Do you have a metric, when you talk about asking people, what more do you think that we could do? Do you have benchmarks or metrics that would trigger some kind of policy change, whether that would be a mask recommendation or a crowd size restriction or any different policy that would take us back similar to what we were talking about in March or April? Is there a metric that you're watching as the death rate grows in November, as the hospital capacity shrinks, as medical professionals or say, we need help right now? Is there a tipping point for you?
Governor Kristi Noem: Well, I guess I need to understand what your question is, because what policy specifically are you pointing to that would make a big difference and have more of an effect of protecting people than what we're doing today?
Lori Walsh: What I'm wondering is, are there numbers that would increase, that would trigger a policy change that you have already set aside and said, when we get to this amount of capacity, I'm going to do this. And it's a mask mandate or it's something you've determined that would be effective. Is there a tipping point for that, is what I'm wondering?
Governor Kristi Noem: Well, and that's the conversation we're having with our hospital systems and our healthcare workers on a regular basis is, are you still doing elective procedures? And they are all choosing on their own, without direction from me, to still do elective procedures, which is part of the capacity in their hospital system that's being taken up that's not COVID-19 patients. We've asked them if they need more staffing relief, if we can help them with more doctors and nurses and facility, more bodies to help them, and they have not made any of those asks from us. In fact, the people that are caring for people that are sick in South Dakota today have not told the state of South Dakota or me, myself personally, that they need anything or help or assistance today that we're not delivering.
So these are ongoing conversations. We're constantly monitoring how many open beds we have, but also monitoring how their staff is doing and what we can do to be helpful. What can we do to bring relief to those doctors and nurses that are exhausted and stressed? And that's why we have these conversations with them is to do what we can.
It'd be hard to point to a specific policy that would make a big difference when they're not recommending one to us. And when we can't look across the country and see which policy change would make a big difference in impacting people and the spread. If you look at Wyoming, it has the fastest spread in the nation right now. And according to John Hopkins-
Lori Walsh: Governor, I know-
Governor Kristi Noem: That and several other states are higher. Some of the States that have higher spread have had mask mandates in place, and Wisconsin's had one in place since August. Montana's had one in July, and both of those States have higher rates of spread than South Dakota does. So-
Lori Walsh: We've been looking closely at Vermont, I'm sure you know, and the Republican governor there and some of ... The economy is doing almost as well as South Dakota and the death rate is the lowest in the nation. They have their challenges too, of course, but there have been some measured implementation of mitigation efforts from a broad stance. Have you looked at some of those places to see who is successful right now and what we might learn from some of those policies?
Governor Kristi Noem: Absolutely. Yes. We've looked at Vermont and what's going on there and have been watching some of their mitigation measures, as well as other states throughout the process. The one thing I would encourage folks to do is to continue to stay engaged and to listen. I've got a press conference here at one o'clock and people can watch that on my Facebook page and we'll be taking lots of questions from folks. And if they still aren't sure of where South Dakota is today, or if they want to know some of the facts around what we're doing to protect folks and make sure we're getting through this challenge together, I would encourage them to be on that Facebook page at one PM for that press conference and make sure that they have the opportunity to hear directly from reporters what the questions are, but also some of the answers and information that we can share.
Lori Walsh: Yeah. I know there are other people waiting to talk to you, so we'll just wrap up with a little bit about Thanksgiving, because we said at the beginning, we were going to do that. And the CDC has issued guidelines for Thanksgiving and warned about the risks of household gatherings. They're recommending no travel through high community spread areas. Don't celebrate with people outside your own household. If you're inside somebody else's house, they recommend wearing mask and keeping family groups apart as much as possible. What's your message for South Dakotans regarding the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, Governor Noem?
Governor Kristi Noem: Yeah, I would definitely tell folks across the state of South Dakota, if you're sick and having symptoms, you need to stay home. Join your family over FaceTime or Skype. Thanksgiving is coming up and we all like to get together, but we do have to continue to be diligent about using the mitigation measures that we have for the last several months to protect people in our lives that we love. So let's celebrate Thanksgiving and remember that we also have a lot to be thankful for. Even on our worst day, we're blessed to be in South Dakota and be in this country. And I'm just so grateful that I get to be in this state where we have people who work together to meet these challenges when they come.
Lori Walsh: Governor Kristi Noem of South-
Governor Kristi Noem: Thank you, Lori. Thank you.
Lori Walsh: Yeah. Hey, thank you so much for being here with us today. We appreciate your time.
Governor Kristi Noem: You bet. You have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Following our interview with Governor Noem, she held a press conference from Pierre. This is the full video of that press conference: