About 300,000 people are expected to descend on Daytona Beach, Fla., this week for a large annual motorcycle rally called Bike Week that is taking place during a pandemic in a state with few restrictions to slow its spread.
Excitement about the event has been tempered by pushback from some motorcycle enthusiasts in a Facebook group dedicated to the rally who feared it could turn into a coronavirus superspreader event. Last August, the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota drew more than 450,000 bikers,
most of whom did not wear masks or appear to follow social-distancing guidelines.
State health officials in South Dakota said coronavirus cases
spread to more than 20 states and at least 300 people — including to revelers’ families and co-workers.
Bike Week typically draws almost half a million people to the Daytona Beach area each year. But because of the coronavirus pandemic, the numbers are estimated to be lower this year — closer to 300,000 people, said Janet Kersey, the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.
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“This year we know because of continued Covid concerns and the loss of income many have had over this past year it will be less,” she said, adding that good weather and the accelerating pace of vaccinations could cause that number to rise.
“While our community is working hard to follow C.D.C. safety guidelines, the support of the visitors and participants is important in these efforts as well for everyone’s safety,” she said.
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At least 125 new coronavirus deaths and 4,426 new cases were reported in Florida on Tuesday, according to a
New York Times database of Covid-19 infections and deaths. Over the past week, there has been an average of 4,948 cases per day in the state, a decrease of 16 percent from the average two weeks earlier.
A more contagious and potentially more lethal variant of the coronavirus, known as B.1.1.7, which was first spotted in Britain,
is spreading more widely in Florida as a share of total cases than in any other state, according to an analysis of data from Helix, a lab testing company.
With this
year’s event, which began on March 5 and runs through Sunday, Bike Week is celebrating the 80th anniversary of a gathering that has been billed as one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the country.
Events include races, bike exhibitions, concerts and giveaways in and around Daytona Beach, a popular Florida tourist area known for its hard-packed sand.
Ms. Kersey said that because of the pandemic, officials had considered canceling the event but said the Daytona Beach City Council was “very meticulous in its decision to move forward.”
Bike Week typically draws a half-million people to the Daytona Beach area, but a smaller crowd is expected this year. Still, some worry that it could be a superspreader event.
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