A large gathering of bikers in South Dakota appears to have done little to spread the coronavirus after health experts warned that a lack of social distancing could prove disastrous for attendees, health officials said.
South Dakota state epidemiologist Dr. Joshua Clayton said “less than 25 people” have been infected with the disease before stressing that it’s difficult to calculate the full spread of the disease as many attendees traveled from out of state to participate in the event.
Thousands came together in Sturgis, South Dakota, between Aug. 7-16 to participate in the annual motorcycle rally. A press statement from health officials in South Dakota said that one employee at a bar in Sturgis tested positive for the virus and may have come into contact with patrons between Aug. 9-11.
“The whole reason we needed to do a public notice for those cases is that the individual was not able to identify all the persons they may have been around that may have been considered close contacts,” Clayton said, referencing the sick employee who was at the bar for a five-hour period.
State officials said they are attempting to perform contact tracing on up to 25 individuals who have tested positive for the disease since the rally. They added that several of the positive tests came from outside the state.
A state website tracking coronavirus infections has shown a negligible uptick in cases since the end of the rally.
