RAPID CITY — The Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board (GPTLHB) says it is time for both local and state governments to implement more stringent COVID-19 protocols.
“With great urgency, the Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board recommends that local, tribal, and state governments in the Great Plains adopt immediate use of face masks in public settings and explore the adoption of shelter in place directives,” wrote GPTLHB CEO Jerilyn Church in an open letter to elected officials across the state.
The Great Plains Tribal Leader’s Health Board echoed sentiments expressed last week by the South Dakota State Medical Association in the call for a statewide mask mandate in South Dakota.
“The GPTLHB urges that all city, county, and state officials in South Dakota immediately implement any measures available to encourage or require face coverings in public settings. We specifically ask Governor Noem to enact a mask mandate to protect all South Dakotans and save lives,” added Church.
In addition to multiple public health programs, the GPTLHB manages the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center, the Oyate Health Center, and the We Are Warriors Emergency Operations Center.
