CONCORD, N.H. — The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said Wednesday there have been more than 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19 associated with the Sturgis, SD, Motorcycle Rally, including six New Hampshire residents.
The N.H. DHHS says it’s notifying residents about potential exposures related to the rally, which was held Aug. 7-16 in Sturgis, South Dakota.
Hundreds of thousands of people travel from across the country to the small town of Sturgis each year for the rally. According to the Associated Press, this year’s 10-day event drew more than 460,000 vehicles, about an 8 percent decrease from last year—the count shows many were undeterred by the coronavirus pandemic.
Most in attendance didn’t take precautions against COVID-19 at the rally, with little to no masks and only some avoiding crowds.
Last Tuesday, the South Dakota Department of Health issued a warning that one person who spent hours at a bar on Main Street in Sturgis tested positive for COVID-19, and may have spread it to others.
The Department also said because there are multiple locations in Sturgis with potential community exposure and the number of confirmed cases associated with the event will continue to increase, anyone who attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally may have been exposed and potentially contracted COVID-19.
N.H. DHHS is recommending that all N.H. residents who traveled to Sturgis for the rally get tested for COVID-19 and quarantine for 14 days upon their return to N.H., even if they test negative.
Per the state’s travel guidance all individuals traveling outside New England must quarantine for 14 days.
Sturgis plans to conduct mass COVID-19 testing in an effort to catch outbreaks.