More than 100 people were invited to a wedding in Washington state last month, which could now be linked to an outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in two long-term care facilities, officials said Friday.
November. 7 Wedding at a nearby private location Ritzville, Wash., When first noticed About 40 attendees from neighboring Grant County tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days of the event.
Washington State Health Guide Limit weddings to 30 people at that time.
The Grant County Health District now says employees of two long-term care facilities attending the wedding, labeled by officials as a “super spreader” event, became infected with the virus.
According to ABC News, Health officials said staff members were working at the time they were infected before they knew they were infected.
As of Friday it was not clear how many cases could be traced to these employees and the incident.
“They take care of all the residents so they don’t know which employees the case is tied to,” Grant County District Health Administrator Theresa Adkins told ABC in an email.
The ABC noted that there have been 54 CWID-19 deaths in the county, including 29 involving long-term care facilities.
Adkins added that the department plans to conduct a “deep data analysis” once the latest infection is under control.
The health department did not say how many facility staff members tested positive.
In A press release on Thursday Announcing the deaths at the care facilities, the county health department urged residents to stay “home as much as possible” to protect the population most at risk from the virus.
“Members of our most vulnerable communities – the elderly, those with immune systems and chronic conditions – are particularly at risk of complications due to Kovid-19 infection and we must continue to take steps to protect them from this disease,” the statement said.
“Your choice to associate with people outside your home may result in additional cases of COVID-19 and death,” the statement added. “Please stay home and protect what you love.”
Weddings in other states have also been referred to as “super spreader” events for COVID-19. In August Gust, wedding in rural Maini According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long-term care facilities involved 177 coronavirus cases, including six, and seven deaths.
By Thursday, this Department of Health and Washington Washington More than 174,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported with 2,925 deaths due to the virus.
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