The Calgary Stampede says “71 people likely acquired the virus at the Stampede.”.“Today, we received an update from Alberta Health advising us on the status of the number of COVID-19 cases identified during and following Stampede 2021. Alberta Health has shared that 71 people likely acquired the virus at the Stampede. This represents approximately seven cases per day or a total of 0.01 percent of the 528,998 attendees.”.Dana Peers, Interim Chief Executive Officer, said “This year, our community celebration was the first step in the safe return of live events for our city and our country.” Peers went on to say “We believe Stampede 2021 was a success. We committed to operating safely, and these results show the effectiveness of the enhanced safety measures that were put in place.”.“The Stampede has gone above and beyond when it comes to safety measures, and events across the country can learn a great deal,” says Dr. Jia Hu, public health physician advising the Stampede. “In context, over the past two weeks, 749 cases were reported across Alberta. The low number of cases associated with the Stampede is not unexpected and reinforces the safe operating measures put in place along with the effectiveness of vaccines.”.The Stampede featured additional operational procedures such as rapid testing for Stampede personnel and rodeo athletes competing in a modified quarantine bubble. The rapid testing program identified zero positive tests during Stampede.
