As hundreds of thousands flocked to rural South Dakota for a motorcycle rally this month, sparking fears of a coronavirus superspreader event, photos captured people crowding the streets without masks and packing local businesses in the city of Sturgis — including a bar on Main Street, One-Eyed Jack’s Saloon.
Now state health officials say a person who visited One-Eyed Jack’s for about five hours has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. So has an employee of the tattoo shop inside the bar who worked there from last Thursday through Monday. Both could have transmitted the virus to others at the time.
At a news conference Thursday, South Dakota health officials expressed little alarm about cases confirmed among rally attendees. Four days after the event finished, they said they are aware of fewer than 25 infections among people who attended in the 14 days before illness set in. Continue reading.