Anthony FauciThe director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said on Sunday that he was “very concerned” that the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota would lead to a surge of new COVID infections.
The rally kicked off on Friday in Black Mountain, South Dakota, and is expected to attract approximately 700,000 people to participate in a 10-day event for motorcycle enthusiasts. But as the highly contagious delta variant continues to spread across the country, Fauci and other public health officials have issued an alert that this rally may lead to a large-scale new outbreak.
Fauci said on Sunday: “I am very worried that we will see another surge related to that rebound.” National Broadcasting Corporationof Meet the media.
“People want to do what they want to do, and they want the freedom to do so. This is understandable. But one day, you are dealing with a public health crisis that may involve you, your family, and everyone else— -Certain things will replace the need to do what you want,” Fauci added.
A team of researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Said that after more than 460 attendees were infected with COVID-19, last year’s Sturgis rally led to a “super spreader incident.”
Now, public health officials and some local residents worry that the rally will again lead to a surge in cases. Just a few days before the event, South Dakota reports a 68% increase in COVID cases, Mainly due to the Delta variant. In addition, according to the CDC, only about 46% of adults living in the county where the Sturgis rally was held were vaccinated.
In any case, several participants at the rally this weekend said that they are not worried about the risk of infection.
“We are eye-opening,” Pam Williamson, an attendee from Kansas State, told The Associated Press. “It’s nice to see everyone going out and being able to be friends with everyone.” Others told the news media that they participated in the rally for “free life” and said they would not let the pandemic prevent them from having fun.
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There is no requirement for a vaccine or mask to participate in the rally, but officials said that in addition to Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine, the event also provides coronavirus testing, masks and hand sanitizer stations. The city also allows attendees to drink in public places to prevent indoor crowding.
However, as thousands of people gathered for the event this weekend, Fauci warned that the United States needs to contain the epidemic “before we begin to act like nothing happens.”
“Some bad things are happening and we must be aware of this,” he added.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, there are an average of more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases every day in the United States, which is the highest level in the past six months. By Friday, More than 63,250 coronavirus patients in U.S. hospitals, This number has been increasing since late June.
Earlier this week, Fauci predicted that in the fall, there will be As many as 200,000 new COVID-19 cases per day Driven by the Delta variant.
“What we are seeing is because of the increase in transmission and because we have about 93 million people in this country who are eligible to be vaccinated but not vaccinated-you have a large number of vulnerable groups,” Fauci said. Say. “So when you look at the acceleration curve of the average number of cases per day for 7 days, it rises in a very steep way.”
According to CDC data, 50.1% of Americans received a comprehensive vaccine, while 70.8% of adults received at least one dose.
