New CDC report details COVID-19 outbreak in Minnesota linked to Sturgis
In this Aug. 5, 2016 file photo, bikers ride down Main Street in downtown Sturgis, S.D., before the 76th Sturgis motorcycle rally officially begins.[Josh Morgan/Rapid City Journal via AP]
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention details a COVID-19 outbreak that occurred in Minnesota that was associated with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
The 10-day motorcycle rally was held in August despite COVID-19 concerns and drew approximately 460,000 people.
According to the CDC’s findings, there were 51 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Minnesotans that attended the event. Three of those Minnesotans were hospitalized and one died.
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Another 35 cases spread to families, friends and coworkers, with one of those people needing to be hospitalized.
According to the report, one third of the 87 counties in Minnesota had at least one primary, secondary or tertiary case associated with the Sturgis rally.
The findings highlight the far-reaching effects that gatherings in one area might have on another area, the CDC said. The motorcycle rally was held in a neighboring state that did not have policies regarding event size and mask use, underscoring the implications of policies within and across jurisdictions.