The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 only produced 19 new cases of COVID-19 according to local health officials.
Despite hosting the largest spectator event since the pandemic began, at approximately 135,000 people, precautions that were put into place seem to have been effective at reducing transmission of the virus.
While speaking with local news station WTHR, Marion County Public Health Department Director Dr. Virginia Caine said the department only linked 19 infected people to their attendance of the race.
The department worked with local and state health officials to track new cases and look for other potential exposure avenues.
At the time of the race of May 30, Marion County, where Indianapolis is located, was averaging 70 new cases per day. That number has since been halved as infection rates continue to fall.
IndyCar worked closely with local health officials to determine the number of fans that were allowed into the facility, and erred on the side of caution for all aspects of the event.
Extra sanitation stations and cashless concession stands were implemented around the facility, as well as the ability for attendees to get their COVID vaccines on the premises.
Patrons were also encouraged to get their vaccines ahead of time and to be mindful of others while in attendance.
Since the Indy 500, venues have been operating at near full capacity and many restrictions surrounding large events have been lifted.
The most recent races in Detroit and Road America have had open paddocks as well, allowing fans to get up close and personal with their favorite drivers once again.
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