STURGIS (AP) – Up to 1,300 coronavirus tests will be available for Sturgis residents following the annual motorcycle rally in August, which typically draws hundreds of thousands of riders to the city.
Sturgis city manager Daniel Ainslie briefed the City Council Monday night on the plan to protect local residents from contracting COVID-19 when the rally is held Aug. 7-16.
Besides regular testing for people with symptoms, the report says asymptomatic front-line residents would be able to be tested following the rally, the Rapid City Journal reported.
The proposal is meant “to identify asymptomatic residents following the events so that they can self-isolate to avoid inadvertent spread.”
Monument Health would be able to conduct up to 1,300 tests to identify asymptomatic patients. The testing would happen after the average incubation period following the event, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is thought to be 14 days with a median time of 4-5 days.
The report notes the city would spend $195,000 for the tests, a cost which may be reimbursed through federal funding.
