COVID outbreak in Colorado tied to MLB All-Star Game events, health officials say

Events from this month’s MLB All-Star Game in Denver have triggered a COVID-19 outbreak, health officials say.

Officials with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment say 14 attendees from the MLB All-Star Game events got COVID-19 after attending.

Both the All-Star Game on July 13 and the previous day’s Home Run Derby were sold out at Coors Field, according to CBS4. The Denver ballpark seats 50,000 fans and received permission for full capacity in late June, KUSA reported. A face mask rule was not in effect for the festivities.

MLB has not commented on the outbreak. The health department did not specify whether the cases were of the delta variant or how many people have been hospitalized.

More than 100,000 people walked through Denver’s convention center for the Play Ball Park indoor and outdoor event during All-Star Week, according to KUSA.

Dr. Richard Zane of UCHealth said after the game he expected a spike in COVID patients between seven and 14 days after the week’s events, CBS4 reported.

The Colorado Rockies, Denver’s MLB team, is also listed in the health department’s COVID outbreak data. It says eight staff members for the Rockies have gotten the virus this month.

Colorado’s health emergency orders, in effect since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, were lifted July 8.

MLB announced in April it was moving this year’s All-Star Game away from Atlanta following the passage of a Georgia law that will restrict voter access to some of the state’s residents. The league announced a few days later the event would be moved to Denver, which last hosted the All-Star Game in 1998.

This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 10:31 AM with the headline "COVID outbreak in Colorado tied to MLB All-Star Game events, health officials say."