PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota lawmakers were attempting to contain the spread of the coronavirus on Monday after the first reported case in the Legislature this session.
Legislators were informed by email Sunday that Republican Rep. Aaron Aylward had tested positive over the weekend. House Speaker Spencer Gosch said that a number of lawmakers were staying away from the Capitol while they awaited the results of testing.
Gosch declined to confirm that Aylward had tested positive, but said that the member who was confirmed to have COVID-19 had minor symptoms.
The Legislature will hit the halfway mark of its 9-week session this week. Gosch said that the session was progressing “well” so far and legislative leaders had worked to act on bills quickly in anticipation that an outbreak could create a disruption.
The House is encouraging lawmakers and the public to wear masks, but that recommendation often goes unheeded. On the Senate side of the Capitol, masks are required for the public and expected for senators.
While the state saw one of the nation’s worst virus waves late last year, cases have continued to drop through January and February. Over 10% of the population has received at least one dose of a vaccine.
Said Gosch, “We’ll continue to move forward and monitor the situation.”
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