Health officials see COVID cases tied to Pendleton Round-Up

PENDLETEON, Ore. (AP) — Health officials in Umatilla County, Oregon, say they are starting to see COVID-19 cases linked to the Pendleton Round-Up. Umatilla County Public Health Director Joseph Fiumara told county commissioners Monday the county’s case count last week was 550 cases of COVID-19, and Fiumara said he had 151 pending cases from the weekend. So far, there are 44 cases of the illness tied to the Pendleton Round-Up, most from Umatilla County and some from Wallowa County. The Round-Up is a large, annual rodeo that concluded this year on Sept. 25. The rodeo and and festival typically attract large crowds to northeastern Oregon.