City of Houston preparing for two large events amid COVID pandemic

Two upcoming events has Houston getting ready

FOX 26 Reporter Matthew Seedorff has more as two major events are quickly approaching in the next two months: The Houston Marathon and the Houston Rodeo.

HOUSTON - The city of Houston is preparing for two large events that haven’t taken place since the pandemic started.

Later this month, roughly 30,000 runners are expected to participate in the Houston Marathon. Then, in late February through March, large crowds are expected for the Houston Rodeo.

"Everybody gets to have fun," said Robert Clay from the Houston Rodeo. "It’s a great lineup. We’re super excited."

The Houston rodeo canceled on March 11, 2020, over COVID-19 concerns. Since then, more than 660 days have passed since Houston held a rodeo.

Currently, COVID-19 cases are climbing throughout the United States. On Wednesday, we asked RODEOHOUSTON President Chris Boleman if he’s worried about this year’s rodeo getting canceled.

"I really don’t have those concerns," said Boleman. "We’re in a far different place than we were two years ago. We have vaccines, a lot of treatments. We know what we can do to work with COVID in today’s world."

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According to Boleman, the rodeo is scheduled to go on as ‘normal’.

"We’re in a different place in terms of vaccines and so forth," said Boleman. "We’re hoping to have a normal show. We’ll continue to follow guidance from the CDC."

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A spokesperson from the Houston Rodeo provided the below statement about their COVID-19 protocols:

"Masks, a negative COVID-19 test and/or proof of vaccination are not required to attend our event, however, we encourage all guests to follow the CDC’s health and safety guidelines, whether that’s getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or wearing a face covering," said a spokesperson from the Houston Rodeo. "We continue to work closely with medical experts and local health officials to ensure we’re following proper guidance from local, state, and national health authorities. All protocols will align with current government mandates applicable to our event."

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