Story at a glance
- The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota was linked to hundreds of COVID-19 infections in 2020, a connection that Gov. Kristi Noem refutes.
- In an op-ed, she said it isn’t within her purview as governor to restrict individual rights to gather.
- State health data shows an increase in new infections in the state.
As the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is in full swing for its second major event during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected to have a large turnout of attendees — prompting fears of a delta variant superspreader event.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), whose state hosts the annual rally, pushed back on the notion that it was ever a superspreader event to begin with on FOX News.
“For a year, they’ve [media outlets] labeled it as a superspreader. That was not true,” she told Fox.
In a new op-ed for the channel, Noem said the rally is a sign of the burgeoning tourist industry and business growth in the state, set against the backdrop of low COVID-19 infection numbers.
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Noem made headlines amid the pandemic as one of the GOP governors who staunchly opposed mask mandates and other public health precautions, despite surging case counts at the time.
“As South Dakota’s governor, I have remained within the bounds of my authority and empowered citizens and businesses to make decisions for themselves,” she wrote. “Rather than mandating they do as I say, I have chosen to let people take personal responsibility for decisions the government has no authority to make.”
Current data from South Dakota’s health department, however, shows cases are increasing in the state, perhaps at a quicker rate than from one year ago. South Dakota recorded 110 new infections on Aug. 12 in 2020, and recently reported a larger 152 cases in its most recent data from Aug. 9 this year.
The corresponding two-week trend shows a gradual incline in new infections, with the state showcasing a 9.8 percent test positivity rate over the past week. Health department officials write that as of data from the week of Aug. 1 to 7, this represents a jump of 73 percent in new cases per day.
Hospitalization remains relatively low. Just 2.7 percent of occupied hospital beds are due to COVID-19 infections, and 1.6 percent of ventilators are used by COVID-19 patients. Local outlets note, however, that this is still an increase, with the number of inpatients doubling in week-over-week data.
Meade County, which is home to Sturgis and will host the bikers attending the rally, reportedly has “moderate” levels of COVID-19 transmission, with 36 active cases.
These figures have prompted concern from public health experts, namely Anthony Fauci. Earlier this week, he commented that he is “very concerned” that the rally will usher in a surge in infections.
Fauci’s fears come from analyses that linked the rally to over 260,000 COVID-19 infections, reports that Noem has contested.
Still, Noem did note in her op-ed that no event during the pandemic will be completely secure, but that it is not within her purview as governor to make that decision for individuals.
“There’s a risk associated with everything that we do in life,” she wrote. “Bikers like those attending the Rally this year get that better than anyone.”
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