[getbak]

As someone pointed out on Twitter, Stampede attendance doesn't count separate people, but separate entrances to the park. I don't know how much of an impact that makes, or if people working at the Stampede are counted in the attendance count or not, but it would lower the 500,000+ number to some degree.

Also, we're still within the two week incubation period, so it's probably too early to give a final count.


It would also be interesting to know what the people who got sick did while at the grounds. Did they go to the rodeo/Grandstand show/Nashville North/Coke Stage or did they just walk around the park and avoid the big crowd events? That could help us understand safety for large events going forward, and I hope they're researching that sort of thing.




The other factor is the Stampede related events around the city that weren't specifically at Stampede Park. That includes both sanctioned parties and just general midweek drinking and social activity that increases during Stampede week.

Last year, there was no official Stampede at the grounds, but a lot of people still said "screw it, I'm still going to 'Stampede' like normal" and there was a spike in COVID cases in the following weeks. We're seeing that again this year. Cases in Alberta -- and especially Calgary -- are up over the last week. Exactly 2 weeks ago, the entire province had 560 active cases. Today, Calgary alone has 725.


If that increase in cases seems to be tied to people socializing more during Stampede week, but not specifically to those who went to the grounds, that's good evidence that vaccine passports and rapid testing for the unvaccinated could be the best answer for returning to normal. It would also be a good sign that large events with thousands of strangers aren't as much of a problem as smaller gatherings of friends and family.


I just hope that this information can be evaluated objectively and not politicized to draw whatever foregone conclusion people have already made.