A section of rural South Dakota that hosted hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts earlier this month for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally now has one of the sharpest rises in Covid cases anywhere in the U.S.—a major sign that this year’s motorcycle rally served as a repeat of 2020’s superspreader event.
Meade County, where the city of Sturgis is located, is adding an average of 29 new Covid cases a day and neighboring Lawrence County 17 a day, according to a New York Times tracker, after having days before the rally with hardly any new Covid cases at all.
While the numbers are small compared to urban areas, they represent a considerable spike for the two counties, which each have populations of under 30,000.
Meade County has the second-sharpest rise in Covid cases of any county in the U.S. compared to two weeks ago, according to the Times, with a 1,233% increase in cases.
Lawrence County is third in the U.S., with a 1,120% increase in cases, with the two counties only trailing tiny Richland County in eastern Montana for the recent sharpest rise in cases.
Hospitalizations have also surged more than 200% in the two counties, though neither have recorded new Covid-19 deaths, which tend to lag behind increases in cases and hospitalizations.
The testing positivity rate during the week of August 13 to August 19 was extraordinarily high in Meade County, at 33.3%, according to the South Dakota Department of Health, while Lawrence County’s rate was also above 25%.
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
