How much impact could Sturgis rally have on COVID-19 caseload?

By STEPHEN GROVES
Associated Press

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Health officials across five states have linked 178 virus cases to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

In the three weeks since the rally kicked off, coronavirus cases in South Dakota have shot up at a startling pace.

State health officials have reported 63 cases among rallygoers from South Dakota so far.

The epicenter of the rally, Meade County, is reaching a per capita rate that’s similar to the hardest-hit states of the South.

Health experts say the pandemic fallout from the rally won’t be seen for weeks and an exact case count will likely remain unknown.

But they’re worried that large gatherings across the Upper Midwest will feed a fresh wave of the virus.