Sneezy rider? 300,000 bikers descend on Daytona Beach for Bike Week - seven months after Sturgis rally was linked to 260,000 COVID cases: Bar owner says: 'We're selling more $3 beer than $7 masks'

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Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Daytona Beach's annual Bike Week has brought tens of thousands of motorcyclists to the city this weekend.

The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, estimates 300,000 to 400,000 motorcyclists will attend. It typically draws 500,000.

'We know it's likely to be less just because of COVID concerns, as well as many still struggling to make ends meet due to loss of income from COVID,' said Janet Kersey, the chamber's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

In anticipation of the event, the city made a bargain with its bars - 60 per cent capacity indoors in return for the permits necessary for temporary outdoor sales and entertainment.

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Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Daytona Beach's annual Bike Week (pictured) has brought tens of thousands of motorcyclists to the city this weekend

The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, estimates 300,000 to 400,000 motorcyclists will attend. It typically draws 500,000

Bikers cruise down Main Street on the first day of Bike Week in Daytona Beach on Friday 

A couple seen at Daytona Beach's bike week over the weekend 

In anticipation of the event, the city made a bargain with its bars (restaurant pictured) - 60 per cent capacity indoors in return for the permits necessary for temporary outdoor sales and entertainment

Bikers are seen walking around without masks during Daytona Beach's Bike Week on Sunday 

Several people were seen grabbing drinks and food as they gathered for the bike week in Daytona Beach 

Daytona Beach is trying to avoid what happened at the Sturgis, South Dakota, motorcycle rally in August.

The Sturgis event led to a disputed number of infections around the country, ranging from several hundred to tens or hundreds of thousands.

'I'm grateful to be open for Bike Week, grateful that the city allowed the vendors and the full Bike Week thing,' said Bobby Honeycutt, owner of Froggy's Saloon, told The Daytona Beach News-Journal as the 10-day event began Friday. 

The bar is limited to 102 customers inside, but is serving from tubs and bars outside.

Video also appeared to show a motorcyclist jumping over a rising drawbridge in the city. 'This is the Main Street draw bridge. The Bike Week “shenanigans” have officially commenced! Folks, please be safe and be smarter than this guy!' Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young tweeted on Friday

Sam Acquaro is attending his 46th straight Bike Week, even though he believes his son caught the virus at last year's, which happened just as the pandemic began spreading around the country and world. He is staying outdoors.

'It really attacked him, and he had to have caught that here,' he said. 'So I haven´t been in a restaurant since.'

At John's Rock N Ride souvenir store, owner Johnny Sanchez was selling a lot more $3 beers than the designer masks he offered for $7. Almost no one is wearing them.

'As far as masks are concerned, they are paying little attention to that,' Sanchez said, with a shrug. 'It's just the way it is. What can you do?'

In other parts of Florida, Spring Breakers were also abandoning masks as bikini-clad college students flooded onto beaches and crammed into bars in Miami and Fort Lauderdale to kick of their vacation. 

A sign over Dirty Harry's encouraged bikers to 'ride free ride safe' throughout the weekend's events 

A biker is seen cruising down Main Street on the first day of Bike Week on Friday 

A biker was spotted with his two service dogs sitting in the back of his motorcycle on Friday 

A biker prepares to park his motorcycle along Main Street in Daytona Beach on Friday 

Hundreds of people are seen enjoying Dayton Beach's Bike Week on Friday 

Two women are seen having a conversation while on bikes on the first day of Bike Week on Friday 

Meanwhile, a man known as the Naked Cowboy in New York City, was arrested in Daytona Beach. 

Robert Burck, who is usually seen playing a guitar in Manhattan's Times Square, was arrested for resisting arrest and panhandling.

According to Fox 35, Burck told a judge during his court appearance: 'I sing and play guitar in my underwear. I'm the Naked Cowboy from New York City, I've been coming down here 21 years in a row.'

Burck said he was just playing his guitar on the street when he was arrested.  

'I'm not asking for money, I just play the guitar and people take pictures and sometimes they put money in.' 

Burck accepted responsibility and told the judge that 'it was a pretty big ordeal, I was just mad. I wasn't mad at anybody in particular'.

The judge dismissed the panhandling charge and let Burck plead 'no contest' to the resisting charge. He was ordered to pay $223 in court costs. 

Meanwhile, a man known as the Naked Cowboy (left and right in Daytona Beach) in New York City, was arrested in Daytona Beach

Robert Burck (pictured), who is usually seen playing a guitar in Manhattan's Times Square, was arrested for resisting arrest and panhandling

There have been more than 28.9 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic last year 

Residents of Mississippi went wild this weekend after Gov Tate Reeves announced that the state would no longer be following CDC guidelines for operations

Revelers across Mississippi seemed unconcerned by the threat of another COVID-19 surge as they packed into busy bars and clubs for the first time in months

In addition to Burck's arrest another incident at the Daytona Bike Week occurred on Friday.

Video appeared to show a motorcyclist jumping over a rising drawbridge in the city. 

'This is the Main Street draw bridge. The Bike Week “shenanigans” have officially commenced! Folks, please be safe and be smarter than this guy!' Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young tweeted on Friday. 

According to the Florida Health Department, the state reported 4,684 new cases of the virus and four deaths on Friday. 

The US as a whole has reported between 65-68,000 cases over the past few days, but on Saturday that number dipped to 59,620. More than 28.9 million cases of the virus has been confirmed in the US since the start of the pandemic last year. 

Dayton Beach's bike week comes just after several states last week announced their plans to reopen. 

Texas became the largest state to announce reopening plans that begin on March 10, despite the fact that over 42,000 in Texas have died of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, residents of Mississippi went wild this weekend after Gov Tate Reeves announced that the state would no longer be following CDC guidelines for operations. 

The Republican governor reasoned that his state has seen one of the biggest declines while having one of the best rates of inoculating their citizens.

Reeves and Texas Governor Greg Abbot have faced a slew of backlash for completely repealing their states' mask mandates. 

In Idaho, protests against mask mandates were held across the state on Saturday as angered residents pushed back against the continuing restrictions

A group gathered to burn their masks outside of the statehouse in protest of COVID-19 restrictions after other states this week made the decision to ditch mandates and open back up

Children joined their parents, several of whom were armed, as they burned pictures of President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the flames, before being egged into disposing of their surgical masks into the fire

Revelers across Mississippi seemed unconcerned by the threat of another COVID-19 surge as they packed into busy bars and clubs for the first time in months.

Many people even went shopping without masks, scenes most of the country would view as foreign a year after the pandemic began. 

In total, there have been at least 296,000 COVID-19 cases and 6,783 deaths in Mississippi since the onset of the pandemic.

On Friday, Mississippi reported 576 new cases and 22 new deaths.

Mississippi will maintain their 50 per cent capacity restriction on indoor arenas and keep their current rules in place for K-12 schools.  

In Idaho, protests against mask mandates were held across the state on Saturday as angered residents pushed back against the continuing restrictions. 

A group gathered to burn their masks outside of the statehouse in protest of COVID-19 restrictions after other states this week made the decision to ditch mandates and open back up.  

Children joined their parents, several of whom were armed, as they burned pictures of President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the flames, before being egged into disposing of their surgical masks into the fire.