Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota sparked COVID-19 outbreak in Minnesota, study finds

When nearly half a million motorcycle enthusiasts gathered in South Dakota this summer, health experts feared the rally could trigger new outbreaks of coronavirus case. It did, according to a new report that looked at cases in neighboring Minnesota.

About a third of counties ended up having at least one coronavirus case linked to August’s Sturgis motorcycle rally, investigators reported in a study conducted primarily by health officials in Minnesota and published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Minnesota officials counted 86 cases they said were linked to the rally – 51 people who traveled to Sturgis and 35 who came into contact with these people later. Most did not suffer from serious illnesses, but four were hospitalized and one died.

“These results highlight the dramatic effects that gatherings in one area could have on another,” wrote the study authors. “The motorcycle rally took place in a neighboring state which did not have a policy regarding event size and mask use, highlighting the implications of policies within and between jurisdictions.”

CDC officials did not immediately respond to a question about any other research assessing the impact of the Sturgis rally on other states.

The rally was a source of contention between the governors of Minnesota and South Dakota. Earlier this month, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz critical South Dakota Gov. Kristi noem so as not to take more aggressive measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Walz, a Democrat, said the Sturgis rally was “absolutely unnecessary.” Distinguishing Noem, who is a Republican, he said he wanted the state to cancel the rally and impose a statewide mask mandate, as Minnesota has done.

In September, the Associated Press found that at least 290 people in 12 states had tested positive for the coronavirus after attending the rally.