Gov. Noem on COVID-19: We gave South Dakotans their freedom and they stepped up
South Dakota reports low COVID-19 case numbers despite never closing or mandating masks; Gov. Kristi Noem explains on 'Fox & Friends.'
U.S. governors should put their faith in the residents of their states and forgo stringent coronavirus mandates, South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem said Friday.
In an interview on "Fox & Friends," Noem told host Steve Doocy that her state is "doing really good" following President Trump's Fourth of July visit, noting that cases "continue to decline."
"I think what we did here in South Dakota is really remarkable because we gave people their freedom," she said. "We let the businesses stay open, we let people go to work, we told them to be smart, and we also asked them to be personally responsible. And, we're seeing benefits of that each and every day in South Dakota."
Jan. 8, 2019: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gives her first State of the State address in Pierre, S.D. While many other governors have broken from President Donald Trump on stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of coronavirus or when to restart economic activity, Noem has tracked close to the president. (AP Photo/James Nord)
On Thursday, the South Dakota Department of Health reported four new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the death toll up to 115. There were also 42 new cases confirmed -- raising the state’s total to 7,694 -- and hospitalizations are now at 757.
According to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, there are now over 3.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States and more than 138,000 deaths.
However, whereas pandemic-ravaged states like Texas and California are home to millions, the U.S. Census Bureau shows Noem's state at just over 884,000 residents.
"We did, in fact, we according to the national experts, did everything wrong," she said. " We did what the people on the ground saw. We aggressively addressed those situations, and came out better for it.
"So, I really think the people of South Dakota stepped up. They did the right thing and they trusted me. I trusted them and they made the right decision," Noem stated.
"If you had advice to other governors real quickly what would you say?" asked Doocy.
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"Trust your people. Don't lay down mandates that are going to hinder the ability that they need to really get through this difficult time," she replied.
"Trust them, give them the facts, let them make decisions that are right for their families," Noem concluded.
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