CDC: 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a COVID-19 super-spreader event
The August 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota spread COVID-19 across the country, resulting in at least 649 infections including transmission to household and workplace contacts over the next 6 weeks, according to a study today in
Clinical Infectious Diseases.
In the study, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzed data and phone interview results from 39 state, county, and city health departments involving COVID-19 patients who had either traveled to Meade County in August 2020 or attended the rally from Aug 7 to 16.
The event attracted about 462,000 people from 61% of US counties, who participated in outdoor and indoor activities. No state, county, or city face covering requirements were in effect, the state had few business restrictions, and attendees were observed ignoring physical distancing recommendations.