Officials In Laconia Discount Super Spreader Possibility

City officials in Laconia, NH are saying that restrictions put into place for the upcoming Laconia Motorcycle Week (Aug. 22-30) will keep the rally from turning into a super spreader event for the coronavirus pandemic. “The Laconia Daily Sun” has the story:

By Michael Mortensen, The Laconia Daily Sun

LACONIA — Call it Laconia Motorcycle Week lite.

City officials said Wednesday that the event which begins in eight days will attract far fewer motorcyclists than in the past, and those who do come will find much less to do. COVID restrictions for bars and restaurants will be strictly enforced. Special outdoor activities will be virtually non-existent.

That was the message Laconia Mayor Andrew Hosmer, City Manager Scott Myers, Police Chief Matt Canfield, and Fire Chief Kirk Beattie delivered at a news conference Wednesday. They were trying to assure the public that, because of the special restrictions that will be in place, the rally will not turn into a super spreader event for the coronavirus pandemic, although that cannot be 100 percent guaranteed, officials conceded.

Unlike previous Motorcycle Weeks, the officials pointed out that vendor booths, outdoor entertainment, and beer tents are being banned this year, and so bikers will find fewer reasons to congregate in Weirs Beach which traditionally has been the rally’s epicenter. In addition, motorcycle parking will not be permitted in the center of Lakeside Avenue, Weirs Beach’s main drag.

“We’ve greatly reduced the capacity of what there is to do,” Myers said.

Crowds will be limited by the seating capacity of restaurants and bars, which have to follow state COVID-19 regulation regarding social distancing and the wearing of face masks, he explained.

Police Chief Matt Canfield said he expects smaller crowds due to the limited amount of parking. In past Motorcycle Weeks only motorcycles could park along Lakeside Avenue. This year, however, bikers will have to compete with cars for spaces.

“Go down there any afternoon and you’ll see every parking space is taken,” Canfield said. “There’s just not going to be a lot of room for motorcycles.”

Private parking lots in The Weirs which operate throughout the summer will be allowed to continue during the rally. But pop-up lots are banned under the city’s no-vendor rule, Myers said.

While acknowledging there was no “foolproof method” on how to hold Motorcycle Week in the midst of the pandemic, Hosmer said the steps that have been taken were “evidence-based decisions.”

Motorcycle Week is traditionally held in mid-June. But the City Council voted in May to postpone the nine-day event for at least two months because of the high number of COVID-19 cases in the state at that time. Four weeks ago the council voted that the rally, which is promoted by the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, could proceed, but without pop-up vendors, outdoor music concerts, or other activities that draw crowds.

Hosmer said the state Liquor Commission’s plan to “saturate the area with enforcement” would prevent bars and restaurants from getting crowded.

Under current COVID regulations, eating and drinking establishments are required to keep tables and barstools at least 6 feet apart, and patrons must wear face masks whenever they are moving about. Servers and other employees who have contact with customers must wear masks at all times.

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