Coronavirus in seven cases cases have been traced back to the motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, where half a million people gathered in mid-August for the ten day event, typically ignoring public health guidelines, CNN reports.
Patients in Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana, Wyoming and the host state have been directly linked to attending the event. In total, 70 confirmed infections were contracted by people who attended Sturgis.
Cell phone tracking data shows that people who attended Sturgis returned to 61% of the counties throughout the United States, potentially leading to a super-spreader event impacting every corner of the continental United States.
South Dakota itself has seen cases triple in the week since the Sturgis event. South Dakota’s republican Governor Kristi Noem is scheduled to speak during the republican National program tonight.