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Nearly 500 COVID cases possibly linked to Bucks' championship run, officials say

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Posted at 11:37 AM, Aug 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-05 14:38:03-04

MILWAUKEE — Health officials in Wisconsin say nearly 500 COVID-19 cases are possibly linked to Milwaukee Bucks fans celebrating the team winning the NBA championship last month in downtown Milwaukee.

According to the Associated Press, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said officials could identify 491 people through contract tracing with confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases who said they attended the celebration in Deer District or attended the Bucks championship-clinching game.

Johnson added that the department couldn't "definitively" say the cases came directly from watching the game downtown or elsewhere, the AP reported.

According to Newsweek, 100,000 fans packed into the Deer District to celebrate the team's win.

During the state's COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, Johnson said that "it is important to recognize that any time there is a large gathering of people, we are going to see the virus spread."