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A26 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 8 auguSt 2020
Harleys everywhere, masks nowhere: Sturgis draws thousands

STURGIS, S.D. (AP) — Thou- the Side Hack Saloon in
sands of bikers poured into Sturgis, was trying to keep
the small South Dakota city her bar and restaurant
of Sturgis on Friday as the from becoming a virus hot
80th Sturgis Motorcycle spot by spacing out indoor
Rally rumbled to life despite tables and offering plenty
fears it could lead to a mas- of hand sanitizer. She also
sive coronavirus outbreak. scaled back the number
The rally could become of bands hired for the rally,
one of the largest public hoping the crowds would
gatherings since the pan- stay thin but still spend the
demic began, with orga- cash that keeps her busi-
nizers expecting 250,000 ness viable for the rest of
people from all over the the year.
country to make their way She pointed out that many
through Sturgis during the of her employees depend
10-day event. That would on the rally and the tips
be roughly half the number they can make.
of previous years, but local "You've got people com-
residents — and a few bik- ing from all over the world,"
ers — worry that the crowds she said. "I just hope they
could create a "super- Thousands of bikers rode through the streets for the opening day of the 80th annual Sturgis Motor- are being responsible and
spreader" event. cycle rally Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in Sturgis, S.D. if they don't feel good, they
Many who rode their bikes Associated Press stay away."
into Sturgis on Friday ex- Several locals said they
pressed defiance at the rode his Harley from Arizo- take a chance," he said. raderie and atmosphere would spend the rally hun-
rules and restrictions that na, the event was a break Republican Gov. Kristi couldn't be missed. kered down at home. Carol
have marked life in many from the routine of the last Noem has taken a largely "I fell in love with the rally. I Fellner stocked up on gro-
locales during the pandem- several months, when he's hands-off approach to love the sound of the bikes," ceries and planned to stay
ic. People rode from across been mostly homebound the pandemic, avoid- said Bill Sudkamp, who was away from any gatherings.
the country to a state that or wearing a mask when he ing a mask mandate and making his 20th consecu- Her husband suffers from
offered a reprieve from went to work as a surveyor. preaching personal respon- tive rally appearance. bouts of pneumonia and
coronavirus restrictions, as "I don't want to die, but I sibility. She supported hold- He and his wife, who de- kidney problems, and CO-
South Dakota has no spe- don't want to be cooped ing the Sturgis rally, pointing clined to give their ages VID-19 would be a "death
cial limits on indoor crowds, up all my life either," he out that no virus outbreak but said they were at el- sentence" for him, she said.
no mask mandates and a said. was documented from the evated risk for COVID-19, Fellner felt that the risk of
governor who is eager to Still, Sample, who is 66, several thousand people were among the handful an outbreak would be felt
welcome visitors and the feared what could hap- who turned out to see Pres- of people seen wearing long after the bikers leave.
money they bring. pen if he caught COVID-19 ident Donald Trump and masks in downtown Stur- The city plans to mass test
"Screw COVID," read the at the rally. He said he was fireworks at Mount Rush- gis, a community of about residents to try to detect
design on one T-shirt being trying to avoid indoor bars more last month. 7,000 that's roughly 25 miles and halt outbreaks, but the
hawked. "I went to Sturgis." and venues, where he felt Daily virus cases have been (40 kilometers) northwest of area's largest hospital sys-
Bikers rumbled past hun- the risk of infection was trending upward in South Rapid City. They were also tem is already burdened
dreds of tents filled with mo- greater. But on the open- Dakota, but the seven-day planning to avoid bars. with the influx of tourists
torcycle gear, T-shirts and ing day of the rally, he said average is still only around Sudkamp felt it was inevi- and bikers who inevitably
food. Harley Davidson mo- he ate breakfast at an in- 84, with fewer than two table that infections would need hospital care during
torcycles were everywhere door diner. deaths per day. spread in the packed bars this time.
but masks were almost no- As Sample weighed the risks The rally attracted crowds and concert venues. Sample was aware his trip
where to be seen, with an of navigating the crowds, of retirees and people in "It looked like South Dakota to the rally could end in the
Associated Press reporter the same thrill-seeking that age ranges considered to was plateauing mostly," hospital, which seemed to
counting fewer than 10 in a attracted him to riding mo- be at higher risk from the Sudkamp said. "It will be weigh on him.
crowd of thousands over a torcycles seemed to win coronavirus. But for many interesting to see what it "This is a major experiment,"
period of several hours. out. who see the rally as an an- looks like in two weeks." he said. "It could be a ma-
For Stephen Sample, who "I think we're all willing to nual pilgrimage, the cama- Marsha Schmid, who owns jor mistake."q

Canada says it will impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports

TORONTO (AP) — Cana- the tariffs will match the ports in 2018. He then lifted posed a 25% duty on steel tariffs because there was a
da's deputy prime minister U.S. ones dollar-for-dollar. them last year on Canadi- and a 10% duty on alumi- surge in aluminum exports
said Friday that the coun- Canada is considering im- an and Mexican metals to num. Canada responded from Canada to the U.S. in
try plans to impose $3.6 bil- posing a tariff on dozens smooth the way for the U.S.- with tariffs on hundreds recent months, but industry
lion Canadian (US$2.69 bil- of products, including golf Mexico-Canada Agree- of U.S. products such as organizations dispute that
lion) tariffs on U.S. imports clubs, bicycles, refrigera- ment, which replaced the ketchup, coffee, strawber- claim. Aluminum imports
in response to President tors, washing machines, North American Free Trade ry jam and whisky before from Canada rose sharply
Donald Trump saying the tripods, sports equipment Agreement. The new pact the two countries dropped from February to March
U.S. is reinstating a 10% im- like bats and hockey sticks took effect July 1 and was their efforts and agreed to but have since leveled off
port tax on Canadian alu- and embossed aluminum expected to bring stability the new North American and dropped 2.6% from
minum. cans for beverages. to North American trade free trade deal. May to June, according to
Deputy Prime Minister Trump originally imposed The new tariff spat comes Trump said Thursday that the Aluminum Association
Chrystia Freeland said the tariffs on aluminum im- after the U.S. in 2018 im- he was re-implementing trade group.q