- Oct 17, 2011
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A gathering expected to draw tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the Lake of the Ozarks region is fueling concern that Missouri’s fast-growing number of COVID-19 cases could climb even higher.
The 14th annual Bikefest Lake of the Ozarks, which got underway Wednesday, bills itself as the largest bike rally in the Midwest and includes five days of scenic bike rides, vendor fairs, music concerts and stops at area bars and restaurants. Last year, Bikefest drew about 125,000 people to the area.
The state lifted all pandemic restrictions on businesses on June 16, leaving local governments to pass measures such as capacity limitations, curfews and mask mandates to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force, however, has recommended that bars be closed and dining restricted in Missouri counties marked as “yellow” or “red” zones ... Camden and Miller counties, which cover the Lake of the Ozarks, are both in red zones, according the task force letter.
Missouri ranks third in the country behind North Dakota and South Dakota in new cases per capita over the past week. Missouri hospitals have seen several days of record daily hospitalizations of over 1,000 patients last week, Missouri Hospital Association data shows.
The central region of Missouri, where Lake of the Ozarks is located, is seeing its highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began, according to the hospital association. The region has a 19.3% positivity rate, compared with a statewide average of 10.7%.
As I compare Bikefest to Sturgis, there are some important differences.
On the plus side:
Bikefest has a lot fewer participants
On the minus side:
When Sturgis happened, the Dakotas were relatively COVID free, being down in Montana/Alaska territory. Since then, the Dakotas have shot up to around the national average, and with the highest new case rate in the land. Missouri is already around the national average, and its new case rate is just behind the Dakotas. It is already looking bad.
On the third hand: Missouri has a much bigger population than the Dakotas, so possibly any bump will be more disguised by the larger trend in the state. Then again, if it's not localized to the Lake area, that could mean it will drive the state numbers.
The 14th annual Bikefest Lake of the Ozarks, which got underway Wednesday, bills itself as the largest bike rally in the Midwest and includes five days of scenic bike rides, vendor fairs, music concerts and stops at area bars and restaurants. Last year, Bikefest drew about 125,000 people to the area.
The state lifted all pandemic restrictions on businesses on June 16, leaving local governments to pass measures such as capacity limitations, curfews and mask mandates to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force, however, has recommended that bars be closed and dining restricted in Missouri counties marked as “yellow” or “red” zones ... Camden and Miller counties, which cover the Lake of the Ozarks, are both in red zones, according the task force letter.
Missouri ranks third in the country behind North Dakota and South Dakota in new cases per capita over the past week. Missouri hospitals have seen several days of record daily hospitalizations of over 1,000 patients last week, Missouri Hospital Association data shows.
The central region of Missouri, where Lake of the Ozarks is located, is seeing its highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began, according to the hospital association. The region has a 19.3% positivity rate, compared with a statewide average of 10.7%.
As I compare Bikefest to Sturgis, there are some important differences.
On the plus side:
Bikefest has a lot fewer participants
On the minus side:
When Sturgis happened, the Dakotas were relatively COVID free, being down in Montana/Alaska territory. Since then, the Dakotas have shot up to around the national average, and with the highest new case rate in the land. Missouri is already around the national average, and its new case rate is just behind the Dakotas. It is already looking bad.
On the third hand: Missouri has a much bigger population than the Dakotas, so possibly any bump will be more disguised by the larger trend in the state. Then again, if it's not localized to the Lake area, that could mean it will drive the state numbers.
