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A newly married bride whose glamorous wedding became the center of a coronavirus outbreak has responded to critics who accused the couple of putting people’s lives at risk.
Emma Metcalf, 36, and Scott Maggs, 37, married in front of 120 guests at the exclusive Tumbling Waters Retreat in Stanwell Tops, south of Sydney, on March 6.
In the days that followed, the intimate occasion would make national headlines and become a matter of controversy after 42 wedding guests fell ill with COVID-19.
Ms. Metcalf opened up on the test in a trial for Marie Claire Australia, issuing a request for “empathy” after she and her husband became the target of abuse and blame online for the outbreak.
NSW girlfriend Emma Metcalf, 36, (pictured with husband Scott Maggs) spoke after 42 people fell ill with coronavirus at their wedding last month.
The couple married at the exclusive and picturesque Tumbling Waters Retreat in Stanwell Tops, NSW, on March 6.
The wedding became known as one of the leading case groups in New South Wales, after 42 of 120 guests contacted the virus, many have since recovered.
At least 42 coronavirus cases arose from the couple’s wedding, making it one of the largest infection groups in the state.
‘We never would have knowingly put people at risk. If we knew what we know now, we would not have gone ahead with the wedding. That is a fact, ‘he said.
“We have received negative comments online for” putting people at risk, “but we never wanted this to happen.”
Ms. Metcalf proposed defending a more positive message instead of “pointing the finger” and flaunting fear.
She asked the public to “come together as a community instead; Be smart, practice common hygiene, be nice and empathetic.
He also emphasized the fact that there were no travel bans or restrictions on meetings in place when the couple married.
“Of course, we also couldn’t help but feel some guilt about the fact that our beautiful day had impacted so many people, even though we knew we hadn’t done anything wrong,” he said.
With the exception of the outbreak, Ms. Metcalf, a Sydney-based producer and consultant, said her big day was “a great party where we all laughed, danced, and enjoyed every moment.”
Mr. Maggs said the outbreak was the “last thing” the couple wanted for their special day, but hoped that their story could remove the stigma of testing positive for the virus.
With the exception of the outbreak, Ms. Metcalf still remembers her big day as a party where everyone “laughed, danced, and enjoyed every moment.”
She remembered hugging and kissing each of her guests, a memory she still fondly remembers despite the unfortunate turn of events.
The couple had spent four days on their Maldivian honeymoon when they learned that two of their guests had become ill.
Ms Metcalf said receiving the bad news by text message “really burst our love bubble.”
The couple then informed their other guests, urging them to get tested if they experienced any symptoms.
However, both Emma and Scott managed to notably avoid the infection.
In her essay, Ms. Metcalf admitted that the terrible experience put the couple through a difficult time, while bringing their community together.
She revealed that most of the guests who had contracted the virus have been removed and are doing well.
When first learned about the outbreak, the couple revealed that they had become “finger pointing” victims of online critics.
‘We have had to deal with people who accuse us of being irresponsible, blaming us for the virus. It has been quite comprehensive, we are very sensitive about it and we try to protect our guests from that, ” Metcalf told the Sydney Morning Herald.
I have to say that the media attention generated by the wedding did not help at all. It just created more hysteria and panic when I really think we should be grateful for the people who went and got tested and let us know what was happening. We cannot shame people for illness. ‘
Breaking her silence on Instagram, Maggs said the couple married in “a glorious way” surrounded by their “closest and dearest.”
Mr. Maggs and his wife hoped that the only media attention they would receive from their wedding would be “to be the hero of all the amazing people and small businesses that helped make our day so special.”
“But due to factors beyond our control, our wedding has become front page news for something we could never anticipate,” he said.
As CEO of a health promotion charity, Mr. Maggs wanted to make sure the community was informed about the coronavirus pandemic.
“Normally, it’s all about” early detection, “but unless you’re showing symptoms, it’s important not to overwhelm the health system,” he said.
In a post on the Beard Season Instagram account, Mr. Maggs said the couple married in a “glorious” way surrounded by their “closest and loved ones.”
Mr. Maggs and his wife hoped that the only media attention they would receive would be to ‘heroize all of the amazing people and small businesses that helped make our day so special.’
‘Instead, know the warning signs, take care of each other, and give people a (disinfected) hand instead of pointing a finger.
‘Australia has to do with the relationship. We show it during forest fires and we can do it now.
Mr. Maggs said the outbreak was the “last thing” the couple wanted for their special day, but hoped that their story could remove the stigma of testing positive for the virus.
“We are all in this together and together, we can get through it,” he said.
The married couple said they were devastated to learn that many of their guests had become ill.
‘We were completely gutted when we first found out and we really wanted our friends to be safe and well. I really couldn’t think beyond that, ” Maggs told Yahoo when they returned from the honeymoon.
‘It was the best day of our lives and we wanted it to be remembered for the right reasons. It was the perfect weekend, except for this.
The Tumbling Waters Retirement team that worked at the function yielded negative results, a statement confirmed Friday.
The staff are in good health and are now allowed out of their two-week self-isolation.
