Almost 500 Milwaukee Bucks fans caught COVID-19 after 100,000 flooded downtown streets to celebrate first championship win in 50 years

Nearly 500 Milwaukee Bucks fans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after joining 100,000 people who took to the streets to celebrate the team's first NBA championship win in 50 years. 

Huge crowds of maskless fans flooded into the city's Deer District after the team's beat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 to win the series 4-2 on July 20. 

But the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has now identified 491 COVID-positive individuals who were at the downtown gathering 'during their exposure or infectious period', or who attended a Bucks game around that time.

Even worse, the department warned that the figure was likely an undercount. 

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson said the spike in cases was alarming.

She told a press conference on Tuesday: 'We anticipated an increase in positive cases due to the delta variant, but a 155 percent increase in one week is distressing.'

The number of cases reached 193.2 per 100,000 as of Tuesday, officials said. 

Johnson added: 'We encourage anyone who has attended a large gathering, such as the watch party in the Deer District, get tested for COVID-19 due to the increased risk of transmission.'

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has identified 491 COVID-positive individuals who were at the gathering at Milwaukee's Deer District on July 21 or attended a Bucks game around that time period. 'during their exposure or infectious period,' although the agency could not say definitively whether they had contracted it there.

Cases are on the rise in the state of Wisconsin in the last few weeks - especially after the 20 July NBA final which saw massive crowds take to the streets

Data of confirmed and probable cases of Covid in the county of Milwaukee since March last year shows an uptick in recent weeks

 The chaos in Milwaukee erupted after Bucks star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo capped one of the greatest NBA Finals ever with 50 points.

Tailgaters climbed up light poles and sent metal police barricades crowd surfing over the thousands of people amid the celebrations.

The huge street party took place despite the seven-day rolling average COVID-19 cases surging 160 percent in Wisconsin in the previous two weeks, and the Delta variant continuing to spread across the US.

'I think it is important to recognize that any time there is a large gathering of people, we are going to see the virus spread,' said Johnson on Tuesday. 

There have been 72,345 positive cases of Covid in Milwaukee since the pandemic began last year. Some 632 have died and 5,742 have been hospitalized, according to the City of Milwaukee Health Department. 

In larger Wisconsin, over 692,000 total positive cases and 8,302 deaths have been recorded since last March. Over the past week, 7,187 cases have been recorded. 

The City of Milwaukee Health Department issued a mask advisory last week, saying they 'strongly advise everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask when indoors with people outside of their household.'

While how many of those infected were vaccinated was not disclosed, data from the department shows that 98 percent of those hospitalized for the virus in the state are unvaccinated.

'We have four times as many people hospitalized with COVID in Wisconsin as we did one month ago, from 74 individuals to 310 today,' he said in an August 3 press briefing.

As of today, 51.9 percent of Wisconsin residents are fully vaccinated, and 52.3 percent have at least had their first jab. 

Health officials have not revealed how many of the infected Bucks fans were vaccinated.

Dr. Ben Weston of the Milwaukee County of Emergency Management warned that hospitalizations are skyrocketing in the state. 

'We have four times as many people hospitalized with COVID in Wisconsin as we did one month ago, from 74 individuals to 310 today,' he said in an August 3 press briefing.

Officials say 98 percent of those hospitalized for the virus in the state are unvaccinated. 

Weston attributed the rise in cases to the outbreak of the more-contagious Indian Delta Variant of COVID. An increased amount of social activity in the state is also to blame, with residents' movement increasing twofold since November, according to mobility data from Apple. 

 Vaccines are still working - on November 16 of last year, 8,510 new cases were recorded in the state. Weston also said that those who have the vaccine are three times less likely to contract COVID and 10 times less likely to be hospitalized.

Vaccines are still working - on November 16 of last year, 8,510 new cases were recorded in the state. Weston also said that those who have the vaccine are three times less likely to contract COVID and 10 times less likely to be hospitalized.

In larger Wisconsin, over 692,000 total positive cases and 8,302 deaths have been recorded since March. Over the past week, 7,187 cases have been recorded.

 Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson told a briefing Tuesday: 'We've been asked for everything from please reinstate health orders and a mask mandate... to please let us make decisions for our businesses. 

'We're in a really tough spot. The health orders have become really political, that's why we issued a mask advisory last week... people have to be masked indoors.'

Members of the Milwaukee health department have been going door-to-door to encourage residents to get vaccinated and to clear up any misgivings they may have.

The department even auctioned off tickets to the final Buck's game to encourage residents to vaccinate.

'The way out of this pandemic is through vaccination. Every person who is not vaccinated is a potential host for another variant,' said Kowalik. 

'It is so important that the emphasis and focus is on vaccines,' said  but we are still working with all of the businesses and schools to make sure that they are able to operate safely.

In addition to COVID risks, some revelers at the Bucks celebration were injured in two separate instances of gunfire.

Shootings took place around 12:45 a.m. on July 21 amid the crowd - with three people wounded with non-life threatening injuries.

The area where the shootings took place is on a street heavily populated with bars and restaurants.

Following one of the shootings at North Water Street and East Knapp Street, a 22-year-old man had non-life threatening injuries, police said, and a suspect was in custody, reported TMJ4.

In the other shooting at North Water Street and East Juneau Avenue, which police said happened simultaneously and was the result of a dispute, a 19-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man suffered non-life threatening injuries. One person was in custody and other suspects were being sought.