a Rural church wedding and reception There is no doubt that it was a beautiful day in the shadow of Mount Kathadin. But since then it has spread grief.
It is linked to the August 7 solo event Corona virus The outbreak occurred in at least two other places in Maine, with more than 170 people infected with the virus and seven deaths since then.
Attended the wedding, Rev. of Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford. Todd Bell, joined many members of his congregation. About 10 of its groups have also tested positive for the virus. He declined to speak to the Associated Press.
Belle continued the services at Sanford and overcame the attacks on social media targeting her. In a sermon, he urged people to trust God over the government and questioned the wisdom of the mask, comparing its effectiveness to a chain-link fence in an attempt to keep mosquitoes away, CBS affiliate WGME reported.
Bell’s attorney said the church encourages congressmen not to wear masks and does not need to wear face ings at church schools, WGME reports.
The station has reported that Bell has fired commentators on social media who have criticized the pastor and members of his congregation for spreading the virus.
“Would you rather study the Bible this morning with the pastor or read all 3,000 commentaries?” Said Belle. “You do not want a pastor who rules by false comments. You want a pastor who is ruled by Jesus Christ. So I have come to Christ – I encourage you to do the same.”
On a video, which is no longer public on YouTube, he said he was “humiliated” by the marriage. The National Center for Life and Liberty, which represents the church, says Bell and his family have received death threats, according to a report on church public radio.
Critics have questioned the wisdom of such a large wedding and reception amid the epidemic.
Dr Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, said a single incident has the power to undo many of the state’s progress during an epidemic. He warned that the virus “could be an unwelcome guest at every wedding, party or event in Maine.”
The “Super Spreader” event began with wedding participants in the Kathadin area and spread to the community and to Madison’s nursing home. One attendee worked at the York County Jail, 220 miles away, where there are more than 70 cases. The state is also investigating an outbreak at a church in Sanford, the home of a wedding officialist.
None of the deceased attended the wedding and reception. The first deaths were reported in Milinocet, where no one has tested positive for several weeks, the town manager said Wednesday. The other six deaths were residents of Madison’s Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center.
The ceremony was fast.
Across the state, the bride and groom parted ways as event venues re-evaluated safety rules during the epidemic. The receptionist lost his business license, in short, and hired a public relations company. The pastor hired a law firm specializing in religious freedom.
The outbreak changed the count of state health officials, who urged the state to be vigilant as it had already curbed a large number of viruses in the state, Shah said.
“It’s spreading to York County and the surrounding community with considerable force.”
Its center was an improbable place. Milinocet is a rural community that serves as the gateway to the famous North Woods by Henry David Thoreau. Prior to marriage, there were no cases of coronavirus in the community.
On a sunny day in Mill Gust it opened with a wedding at the Tri-Town Baptist Church in East Millennial and a reception at Millennial’s Big Moose Inn with a population of 4,400.
WABI
There were 65 guests at the Big Moose Inn – violating the state’s 50-person limit for indoor events – and many attendees did not wear masks or socially distance themselves from each other, state officials said. Other guests not involved in the wedding brought more than 100.
“Tragedy is the word for something over which we have no control. In this case, we have no control over the virus, but this pastor had the absolute choice of whether or not to marry,” Rev. Said Erica Hewitt. , A Unitarian Universalist in Bath.
Already struggling, Maine’s summer wedding industry tightened rules, forcing people to make guest lists, or canceling events altogether.
In Belfast, Thomas Roberts almost blew the gasket when Bothhouse informed his daughter that the venue could annul his marriage.
“We people have already paid for travel arrangements, airline arrangements, rooms and COVID-19 testing. Don’t mess around in less than a month of my daughter’s wedding,” he said on social media.
Her daughter, Amber, said she would have already reduced her guest list, and informed guests of the quarantine and testing requirements. Her wedding is out of the house but she may have to leave more people out of the indoor reception.
“I worry and relieve stress very easily,” Kanya-to-Wahu said. “We are working very hard to follow their guidance so that our happy day can come.”
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