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The annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally kicked off in South Dakota on Friday, with thousands of bikers taking to the streets of the Black Hills area despite warnings from health experts that the event will further fuel flare-ups of the highly contagious delta variant.
The annual rally, which was dubbed a “big-ticket event” last year, is expected to draw at least 700,000 people over 10 days, even as only 46% of adults in the county that hosts the rally are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In South Dakota, about 67% of adults 18 and older received at least one dose, of which about 60% were fully immunized by Friday.
Despite growing concerns about the rise of the delta variant, especially among unvaccinated communities, the town of Sturgis hosted an opening ceremony for the 81st annual rally on Friday.
The city did not host an opening event at last year’s rally due to concerns over COVID-19.
The New York Times reported that by mid-morning on Friday, the city’s Main Street was packed with participants marching side by side and gathered near dozens of bicycles parked outside the shops.
The Associated Press reported that city officials were allowing rally attendees to drink alcohol on public property this year to encourage more people to stay outside and to limit crowds gathered in indoor locations. .
Sturgis City Manager Dan Ainslie also told The Times on Friday that event organizers “are encouraging people in a high-risk category, whether because of their age or co-morbidities, to come forward. next year”.
However, the event, which draws rally fans from several U.S. states, has prompted warnings from health experts, including the Minnesota Department of Health, which is warning people of the risks of large gatherings for long periods of time. .
“The risk increases with larger groups and longer exposure times, especially in settings where there may be a lot of unvaccinated people and where social distancing and the wearing of masks are not routinely practiced,” the department said this week, according to the Star Tribune.
“Any event or setting conducive to the spread of the virus will continue to allow more variants to develop, jeopardizing the gains we have already made with this virus,” the statement added.
Last year, the CDC linked at least 86 cases of COVID-19 among Minnesota residents, including one death, to the Sturgis rally, when about 460,000 people attended the motorcycle event.
A South Dakota government spokesperson. Kristi noem
Kristi Lynn NoemNoem to attend Sturgis Charity Run amid COVID-19 peak US pandemic of COVID hypocrisy South Dakota Governor Noem says she does not plan to increase vaccine messaging MORE (R) said she plans to attend the motorcycle rally this year after approving the event, with the AP reporting that she will be participating in a charity race.
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