Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - Petri dish for COVID - What are They Thinking?

[Leanne778]

Come on....what are they thinking? Even if the event is called off they still come he said. You sir can make it so they don't come. Who's kidding who here? Sturgis rally is and always has been a cool event to attend and it's not as much COVID worrisome because they are basically outside, it's what happens afterwards, in bars, restaurants, etc. but then again, most of these people are Trumpsters and they don't give a $#@! about the virus and they don't give a $#@! about possibly passing it on to others when they return home. Typical selfish $#@!s.

Hundreds of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts are arriving in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally despite objections from a majority of its residents. The celebration -- which nearly 500,000 people attended last year -- will take place as the coronavirus pandemic remains out of control in cities across the country and health experts warn against large gatherings that help fuel the spread. This year the city of 7,000 people is expecting about 250,000 people at the rally.

"As in most years, the opening weekend is very busy," said Christina Steele, spokeswoman for the city. "Normally the number of visitors will likely peak around Wednesday and will then begin to taper off."
The local hospital system, Monument Health has added 172 "Covid beds" in preparation for the rally, according to Mark Schulte, market president for Monument Health. The hospital system is also prepared to offer 1,300 Covid-19 tests to anyone who is asymptomatic but concerned about the disease after the rally ends, Schulte said. Officials are worried that social distancing will not be possible given the large crowds. The event, which began as a small gathering of enthusiasts in the late 1930s, stretches for miles beyond the city and brings in thousands of tourists and dozens of vendors each year from across the country.
"They're not going to be able to handle any kind of social distancing, there's a significant amount of alcohol involved, it's a huge party," says Laura Armstrong, city council president in Rapid City, the largest town near Sturgis. "They can infect our Native American population, our law enforcement, potentially our bar staff, our tourist attractions, our hotels and motels, and even our grocery stores." The total coronavirus cases are low, but rising in South Dakota. But the state's testing positivity rate is between 8 and 9%, above the World Health Organization's recommendation of 5% or lower for at least 14 days before opening. But South Dakota never closed, so the rally isn't breaking any laws.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease professor at Emory University, said he's not worried about the rally itself, because it will mostly be outside. "It's not the actually motorcycle rally but what happens afterward," he said. "People go to restaurants, go to bars, they are going to congregate at places, so the risk of transmission is not actually the rally but what happens after the rally, when people go indoors." He said he worries about any large gathering, no matter what the reason, during a pandemic, but especially the motorcycle rally because it attracts people from all over the country.
"I think because of that, I'm quite concerned that this event could potentially be a disaster," he said. "There could not only be a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people could get infected there and go back to their home states and take the virus over there."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/07/us/ri...lly/index.html

[countryboy]

Come on....what are they thinking? Even if the event is called off they still come he said. You sir can make it so they don't come. Who's kidding who here? Sturgis rally is and always has been a cool event to attend and it's not as much COVID worrisome because they are basically outside, it's what happens afterwards, in bars, restaurants, etc. but then again, most of these people are Trumpsters and they don't give a $#@! about the virus and they don't give a $#@! about possibly passing it on to others when they return home. Typical selfish $#@!s.

Hundreds of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts are arriving in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally despite objections from a majority of its residents. The celebration -- which nearly 500,000 people attended last year -- will take place as the coronavirus pandemic remains out of control in cities across the country and health experts warn against large gatherings that help fuel the spread. This year the city of 7,000 people is expecting about 250,000 people at the rally.

"As in most years, the opening weekend is very busy," said Christina Steele, spokeswoman for the city. "Normally the number of visitors will likely peak around Wednesday and will then begin to taper off."
The local hospital system, Monument Health has added 172 "Covid beds" in preparation for the rally, according to Mark Schulte, market president for Monument Health. The hospital system is also prepared to offer 1,300 Covid-19 tests to anyone who is asymptomatic but concerned about the disease after the rally ends, Schulte said. Officials are worried that social distancing will not be possible given the large crowds. The event, which began as a small gathering of enthusiasts in the late 1930s, stretches for miles beyond the city and brings in thousands of tourists and dozens of vendors each year from across the country.
"They're not going to be able to handle any kind of social distancing, there's a significant amount of alcohol involved, it's a huge party," says Laura Armstrong, city council president in Rapid City, the largest town near Sturgis. "They can infect our Native American population, our law enforcement, potentially our bar staff, our tourist attractions, our hotels and motels, and even our grocery stores." The total coronavirus cases are low, but rising in South Dakota. But the state's testing positivity rate is between 8 and 9%, above the World Health Organization's recommendation of 5% or lower for at least 14 days before opening. But South Dakota never closed, so the rally isn't breaking any laws.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease professor at Emory University, said he's not worried about the rally itself, because it will mostly be outside. "It's not the actually motorcycle rally but what happens afterward," he said. "People go to restaurants, go to bars, they are going to congregate at places, so the risk of transmission is not actually the rally but what happens after the rally, when people go indoors." He said he worries about any large gathering, no matter what the reason, during a pandemic, but especially the motorcycle rally because it attracts people from all over the country.
"I think because of that, I'm quite concerned that this event could potentially be a disaster," he said. "There could not only be a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people could get infected there and go back to their home states and take the virus over there."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/07/us/ri...lly/index.html

But the riots in Portland are fine.

[Tahuyaman]

Come on....what are they thinking? Even if the event is called off they still come he said. You sir can make it so they don't come. Who's kidding who here? Sturgis rally is and always has been a cool event to attend and it's not as much COVID worrisome because they are basically outside, it's what happens afterwards, in bars, restaurants, etc. but then again, most of these people are Trumpsters and they don't give a $#@! about the virus and they don't give a $#@! about possibly passing it on to others when they return home. Typical selfish $#@!s.

Hundreds of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts are arriving in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally despite objections from a majority of its residents. The celebration -- which nearly 500,000 people attended last year -- will take place as the coronavirus pandemic remains out of control in cities across the country and health experts warn against large gatherings that help fuel the spread. This year the city of 7,000 people is expecting about 250,000 people at the rally.

"As in most years, the opening weekend is very busy," said Christina Steele, spokeswoman for the city. "Normally the number of visitors will likely peak around Wednesday and will then begin to taper off."
The local hospital system, Monument Health has added 172 "Covid beds" in preparation for the rally, according to Mark Schulte, market president for Monument Health. The hospital system is also prepared to offer 1,300 Covid-19 tests to anyone who is asymptomatic but concerned about the disease after the rally ends, Schulte said. Officials are worried that social distancing will not be possible given the large crowds. The event, which began as a small gathering of enthusiasts in the late 1930s, stretches for miles beyond the city and brings in thousands of tourists and dozens of vendors each year from across the country.
"They're not going to be able to handle any kind of social distancing, there's a significant amount of alcohol involved, it's a huge party," says Laura Armstrong, city council president in Rapid City, the largest town near Sturgis. "They can infect our Native American population, our law enforcement, potentially our bar staff, our tourist attractions, our hotels and motels, and even our grocery stores." The total coronavirus cases are low, but rising in South Dakota. But the state's testing positivity rate is between 8 and 9%, above the World Health Organization's recommendation of 5% or lower for at least 14 days before opening. But South Dakota never closed, so the rally isn't breaking any laws.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease professor at Emory University, said he's not worried about the rally itself, because it will mostly be outside. "It's not the actually motorcycle rally but what happens afterward," he said. "People go to restaurants, go to bars, they are going to congregate at places, so the risk of transmission is not actually the rally but what happens after the rally, when people go indoors." He said he worries about any large gathering, no matter what the reason, during a pandemic, but especially the motorcycle rally because it attracts people from all over the country.
"I think because of that, I'm quite concerned that this event could potentially be a disaster," he said. "There could not only be a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people could get infected there and go back to their home states and take the virus over there."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/07/us/ri...lly/index.html

Easy solution. Don't go. Stay away. Besides, it's not your kind of crowd anyway.

[stjames1_53]

But the riots in Portland are fine.

Or carrying out Mardi Gras...............then turning those people loose across the globe

[Leanne778]

Easy solution. Don't go. Stay away. Besides, it's not your kind of crowd anyway.

I didn't say I was going and how do you know what my type of crowd is?

[Lummy]

But the riots in Portland are fine.

Does covid19 spread more among crowds of liberals or among crowds of conservatives?

Has BLM/antifa suffered any increased covid19, or is all the smoke and dust from their rioting good for them and curative for covid?

[stjames1_53]

Come on....what are they thinking? Even if the event is called off they still come he said. You sir can make it so they don't come. Who's kidding who here? Sturgis rally is and always has been a cool event to attend and it's not as much COVID worrisome because they are basically outside, it's what happens afterwards, in bars, restaurants, etc. but then again, most of these people are Trumpsters and they don't give a $#@! about the virus and they don't give a $#@! about possibly passing it on to others when they return home. Typical selfish $#@!s.

Hundreds of motorcycle riders and enthusiasts are arriving in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally despite objections from a majority of its residents. The celebration -- which nearly 500,000 people attended last year -- will take place as the coronavirus pandemic remains out of control in cities across the country and health experts warn against large gatherings that help fuel the spread. This year the city of 7,000 people is expecting about 250,000 people at the rally.

"As in most years, the opening weekend is very busy," said Christina Steele, spokeswoman for the city. "Normally the number of visitors will likely peak around Wednesday and will then begin to taper off."
The local hospital system, Monument Health has added 172 "Covid beds" in preparation for the rally, according to Mark Schulte, market president for Monument Health. The hospital system is also prepared to offer 1,300 Covid-19 tests to anyone who is asymptomatic but concerned about the disease after the rally ends, Schulte said. Officials are worried that social distancing will not be possible given the large crowds. The event, which began as a small gathering of enthusiasts in the late 1930s, stretches for miles beyond the city and brings in thousands of tourists and dozens of vendors each year from across the country.
"They're not going to be able to handle any kind of social distancing, there's a significant amount of alcohol involved, it's a huge party," says Laura Armstrong, city council president in Rapid City, the largest town near Sturgis. "They can infect our Native American population, our law enforcement, potentially our bar staff, our tourist attractions, our hotels and motels, and even our grocery stores." The total coronavirus cases are low, but rising in South Dakota. But the state's testing positivity rate is between 8 and 9%, above the World Health Organization's recommendation of 5% or lower for at least 14 days before opening. But South Dakota never closed, so the rally isn't breaking any laws.
Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease professor at Emory University, said he's not worried about the rally itself, because it will mostly be outside. "It's not the actually motorcycle rally but what happens afterward," he said. "People go to restaurants, go to bars, they are going to congregate at places, so the risk of transmission is not actually the rally but what happens after the rally, when people go indoors." He said he worries about any large gathering, no matter what the reason, during a pandemic, but especially the motorcycle rally because it attracts people from all over the country.
"I think because of that, I'm quite concerned that this event could potentially be a disaster," he said. "There could not only be a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people could get infected there and go back to their home states and take the virus over there."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/07/us/ri...lly/index.html

You must be real dense. It is already everywhere. It has spread to all corners of the US. There is no avoiding it,. There is no escape from it. It will touch your life if it already hasn't. Either way, you're just another statistic

[Leanne778]

Or carrying out Mardi Gras...............then turning those people loose across the globe

Well, well, well....how were they supposed to know? Your President was saying we didn't have a problem! Federal agencies that are part of planning Mardi Gras every year, the FBI and Homeland Security, did not raise concerns about the virus. Federal officials who walked the parade route with members of the Mayor's Administration were more focused on terrorist attacks.

But of course, President Trump says we don't have to worry! We only have what? A few cases? It will go away! Gimme a break with your BS.

[Tahuyaman]

I didn't say I was going and how do you know what my type of crowd is?

It's obvious.

[Trish]

Why people are having a difficult time understanding or caring about this virus and how it spreads and the affects it could have on others is mind boggling. I don't think our leaders are explaining it in a way that certain factions of people can understand. Unfortunately, the messaging battle has been lost because someone made it another dividing issue.

I'm at least grateful that public health officials will be able to determine whether anyone who participated in this rally, including vendors, is responsible for spreading the virus should they contract it. A broad contact tracing model is possible.