Wisconsin was the state with the biggest surge in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, with an increase of more than 331%, as it sees a rise in infections—some of which have been linked to the NBA Finals.
When the Milwaukee Bucks won their first championship in almost 50 years, more than 100,000 people are estimated to have attended the last game and a giant outdoor watch party as well as a celebratory parade in the city later that week.
Health officials ultimately identified about 500 cases that could be tied back to the large crowds that gathered in the city during the NBA Finals, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Officials said at least 491 people had visited the area around the stadium or attended a Bucks game before becoming infected, but Wisconsin Department of Health Services officials could not definitively say where the individuals had contracted the virus.
Wisconsin had 692,401 total cases and an average of 1,027 daily cases as of Aug. 4, according to New York Times data. The number of average daily cases is at its highest level in the state since early February.
The Delta variant has spread rapidly among unvaccinated people this summer and now accounts for most new cases of COVID. In Wisconsin, 68% of adults have received one dose of a vaccine, and 63% have been fully vaccinated. This is slightly lower than the 70% of all U.S. Adults who have received at least one dose.
Milwaukee County alone experienced a 310% increase in cases per 100,000 residents in the past week, according to New York Times data. Some more rural counties such as Vilas and Lincoln have seen increases in the past week of more than 1,000%.
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