• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Health

Wisconsin sees biggest nationwide surge in COVID cases, some tied to the NBA Finals

By
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 5, 2021, 4:30 PM ET

Wisconsin was the state with the biggest surge in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, with an increase of more than 331%, as it sees a rise in infections—some of which have been linked to the NBA Finals.

When the Milwaukee Bucks won their first championship in almost 50 years, more than 100,000 people are estimated to have attended the last game and a giant outdoor watch party as well as a celebratory parade in the city later that week.

Health officials ultimately identified about 500 cases that could be tied back to the large crowds that gathered in the city during the NBA Finals, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Officials said at least 491 people had visited the area around the stadium or attended a Bucks game before becoming infected, but Wisconsin Department of Health Services officials could not definitively say where the individuals had contracted the virus.

Wisconsin had 692,401 total cases and an average of 1,027 daily cases as of Aug. 4, according to New York Times data. The number of average daily cases is at its highest level in the state since early February.

The Delta variant has spread rapidly among unvaccinated people this summer and now accounts for most new cases of COVID. In Wisconsin, 68% of adults have received one dose of a vaccine, and 63% have been fully vaccinated. This is slightly lower than the 70% of all U.S. adults who have received at least one dose.

Milwaukee County alone experienced a 310% increase in cases per 100,000 residents in the past week, according to New York Times data. Some more rural counties such as Vilas and Lincoln have seen increases in the past week of more than 1,000%.

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
By Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

Healthsleep
8 Best Firm Mattresses in 2026: Tested and Reviewed by Sleep Experts
By Christina SnyderFebruary 27, 2026
1 hour ago
HealthFood and drink
Chains like Sweetgreen and Chipotle are finally realizing they need to look beyond the ‘slop bowl’
By Phil WahbaFebruary 27, 2026
4 hours ago
chat
Healthchat
Here are the 7 rules of group chats, including how to leave when you’ve had enough
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressFebruary 27, 2026
8 hours ago
will
CommentaryAdvertising
I’m one of America’s top pollsters and I’ve got a warning for the AI companies: customers aren’t sold on ads
By Will JohnsonFebruary 27, 2026
13 hours ago
Healthsleep
5 Best Latex Mattresses in 2026: Tested and Reviewed by Sleep Experts
By Christina SnyderFebruary 26, 2026
1 day ago
dolly
Lawphilanthropy
Dolly Parton’s Tennessee philanthropy kicks up a notch with renaming of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
By James Pollard and The Associated PressFebruary 26, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Innovation
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt robot vacuum maker iRobot says Elon Musk’s vision of humanoid robot assistants is ‘pure fantasy thinking’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Jeff Bezos says being lazy, not working hard, is the root of anxiety: ‘The stress goes away the second I take that first step’
By Sydney LakeFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump claims America is ‘winning so much.’ The IMF agrees, adding that Trump’s trade policies are the only thing holding it back from even more
By Tristan BoveFebruary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
'The Pitt': a masterclass display of DEI in action 
By Robert RabenFebruary 26, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z Olympic champion Eileen Gu says she rewires her brain daily to be more successful—and multimillionaire founder Arianna Huffington says it really does work
By Orianna Rosa RoyleFebruary 25, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
It’s more than George Clooney moving to France: America is becoming the ‘uncool’ country that people want to move away from
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 27, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.