Motorcycle lovers gather in Sturgis despite COVID

Motorcycle lovers gather in Sturgis despite COVID

Tens of thousands of bikers are expected to attend the 10-day annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota's Black Hills despite a surge in U.S. COVID-19 infections and a spike in new cases tied to last year's gathering.

Conway G.

Gittens has more.

For a second year in a row, tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts are not expected to let COVID-19 stop them from their annual gathering in Sturgis, South Dakota.

On Saturday, the first weekend of the rally, crowds of bikers, most of whom were not wearing masks, could be seen on city traffic cameras walking and riding down the streets.

Bikers are attending the 10-day annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota's Black Hills despite a spike in COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths driven by the Delta variant.

Last year, South Dakota made the controversial decision to hold the rally in August and, months later, a surge in COVID-19 cases was linked to the Sturgis rally.

The 81st annual biker rally, which runs from August 6th through the 15th, puts this isolated town on the map for one weekend every year with concerts, rides and competitions that include a Beard and Mustache Contest, poker tournament and tattoo contest.