Thousands of people have gathered for the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.
Despite the 277 percent rise in COVID-19 cases brought on by the Delta variant, thousands of people are expected to go to the 10-day motorcycle rally, which runs from August 6 to August 15.
The event, which is the largest bike motorcycle rally in the world, usually attracts 700,000 people every year.
During last year’s event, there were reports about bikers ditching their face masks as there is no mask mandate in place.
“The Sturgis rally had many characteristics of a super spreading event: large crowds, high intensity of contact between people, potential for highly infectious individuals traveling from hotspots and events in poorly ventilated indoor environments,” the report reads.
Delta variant is wreaking havoc on the nation this year, which saw more than 109,000 new cases on Thursday, with more than 530 related deaths, with a 7-day average of more than 420 deaths.
The U.S. had not had an average of 100,000 cases per day since February.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 93 percent of all the cases are linked to the highly contagious variant and its subtypes.
Despite the spike in cases, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is embracing the motorcycle rally, which generates more than $800 million in sales.
“The rally is a behemoth, and you cannot stop it,” local Carol Fellner said to MarketWatch. “I feel absolutely powerless.”
One person commented: “Bikers in general are actually pretty nice people. I dont wish anything bad on them because they went to an event.”
Another wrote: “Same as last year. They will have a great time, go home, and make plans to return next year.”
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