Daytona Beach’s Bike Week attracts more than 300,000 motorcyclists – despite last rally sparking ‘260k Covid cases’
DAYTONA Beach’s Bike Week is attracting more than 300,000 motorcyclists to Florida. The meeting comes after one study estimated that the last motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota sparked 260,000 Covid cases. Bike Week began on March 5, and runs through March 14. This is the 80th anniversary event. Pictures and video show bikers living […]
DAYTONA Beach’s Bike Week is attracting more than 300,000 motorcyclists to Florida.
The meeting comes after one study estimated that the last motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota sparked 260,000 Covid cases.
Bike Week began on March 5, and runs through March 14. This is the 80th anniversary event.
Pictures and video show bikers living it up in the Florida city, enjoying the sunshine and showing off their motorcycles.
Janet Kersey, executive vice president and COO of the Chamber of Commerce told ABC News that the event is predicted to bring around 300,000 people to Daytona Beach.
The Chamber of Commerce told ABC the event is expected to bring in around $75million.
Although less people were expected to attending than the usual 400,000 to 500,000 crowd that usually goes to the rally, there’s fears that the event may cause a spike in Covid cases.
One study from the Center for Health Economics and Policy Studies at San Diego State University estimated as many as 266,796 Covid cases could be linked back to the Sturgis rally in South Dakota last summer.
The data was not peer-reviewed, however, and some experts have questioned the study.
Around 460,000 people went to the week-long South Dakota event.
The Daytona Beach police department is enforcing Covid guidance to try and limit spread amid the pandemic.
According to a police advisory shared by the Chamber of Commerce, some merchants will be limited to 60percent capacity during Bike Week.
Merchants “will be following CDC guidelines for facemask use and social distancing,” it added.
As hundreds of thousands of people head down south for the rally, arrest records show the “Naked Cowboy” – whose name is Robert Burck – was arrested on Saturday after being seen at Bike Week.
He’s known for playing guitar and posing for pictures with tourists while clad in underwear and a cowboy hat in Times Square in New York City.
Jail records showed he was charged with one count of resisting an officer, and one count of aggressive panhandling.
Police said in a tweet, however, that “He wasn’t arrested for aggressive panhandling.
“He was arrested for panhandling. Just want to make that clear,” police said.
The Naked Cowboy official Facebook page shared a clip with him singing on the street, with the caption “Naked in Daytona!”
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Multiple articles with the news of the Burck’s arrest was also shared to the Facebook page.
As there are fears that the event – along with spring breakers down in Florida – may cause Covid spread, officials are working desperately to try and get as many Americans vaccinated as possible.
President Joe Biden recently revealed that due to increased vaccine production, there should be enough shots available for every American adult by the end of May.