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A wedding with more than 200 guests took place in Schwellbrunn in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Among them: a person who tested positive for the coronavirus. The bride and groom knew of the infection, but invited the person anyway. The rules of distance and hygiene were not observed at the wedding party. Cantonal authorities report Monday.
Reckless celebration has consequences: Schwellbrunn later recorded more than 1,000 corona cases per 100,000 residents. The wedding became a widely publicized event. It’s devastating that contact tracing didn’t get a chance on the radar. ‘Contact tracing was flying blind. We only found out about the event two weeks after the wedding, ”said health director Yves Noël Balmer of the St. Gallen“ Tagblatt ”newspaper.
The guests agreed not to reveal
He was upset by this behavior, the health director said at a news conference Monday. The wedding guests even agreed among themselves not to get tested to avoid possible quarantine. Some guests also participated in an Oktoberfest after the wedding and became involved in associations. Many guests learned about the positive case at the wedding, but did not inform the cantonal authorities, as described by the health director at the press conference. “If this irresponsibility finds imitators, our health system collapses”, the “Tagblatt” quotes him.
More than 20 infections in both festivals
The couple deeply regret the incident and have shown their cooperation after being contacted by the authorities. The canton received the guest list that same night. According to authorities, there were more than 20 crown infections during the wedding and Oktoberfest, and several people had to be hospitalized.
Appenzell Ausserrhoden tightened measures to combat the spread of the crown on Sunday. Masks are required in offices and events with more than 50 people are prohibited. Private events can have a maximum of 15 participants.
