Despite reports of a few new COVID cases among students, the Wyoming Department of Health has no data to support the idea that the season’s first University of Wyoming home football game was a virus “super spreader.”
Department spokeswoman Kim Deti told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that while she has heard of a few COVID cases among students who attended the game on Sept. 4, she had no information to confirm the game was the source of exposure for those people.
“It has been our experience over the course of the pandemic that outdoor events have not been a focus of transmission,” Deti said.
On Sept. 3, the day before the first game, Albany County had 116 active cases. As of Thursday, the county had 150 active cases, an increase of 34 cases, or 29%. This would also coincide with the beginning of the fall semester, as well.
In the two weeks following Cheyenne Frontier Days, which was one of the biggest crowds the event has seen in years, Laramie County saw an increase of 235 active cases, an 84% increase.
However, just because there was not a significant uptick in COVID cases following the football game, Deti reminded residents to be aware of the challenges the pandemic is currently causing.
“We’ll say again that anyone who is feeling ill should stay home unless they are seeking medical attention,” she said. “We do recommend masks in indoor public settings and we recommend free, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccinations for anyone who is eligible.”
The university offered free COVID vaccinations at the football game.
Albany County had the second-highest COVID vaccination rate in Wyoming, with 47.6% of its residents having been vaccinated, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
