Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Comes To An End As COVID-19 Cases Surge

The 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has come to an end in South Dakota, US, after record attendance in the rally, believed to be one of the biggest in its 83-year history. As many as 7,00,000 people were expected to attend this year's event even as concerns were raised that the massive gathering will serve as a superspreader of COVID-19, like last year's edition did. The city of Sturgis, South Dakota, where the annual motorcycle rally is held, has a permanent population of 7,000.

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This year's event is seen as one of busiest with record attendance of bikers from around the US

South Dakota's Governor Kristi Noem praised the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally that attracted hundreds of thousands of people, calling it a "fantastic event" as the Delta variant of the coronavirus spreads across the state, and other parts of the US. A final estimate of this year's attendee count is yet to be reported, but the first few days of this year's event has been among the busiest in recent years. The rally has no vaccination, testing or masking requirements as people ride outdoors but also gather at tattoo parlours, bars, campsites and packed concerts.

There are no vaccination, social distancing or mask wearing requirements at the 10-day motorcycle rally

One study after last year's event linked the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to over 2,50,000 new cases across the US. Last year's event was attended by over 5,00,000 participants. Health experts warn that this year's event will also lead to a spike in cases due to the delta variant and low vaccination rate in the Black Hills area. And like last year, experts fear that the coronavirus will spread across the country as riders return home, after attending the crowded 10-day rally.