Alabama college students who contracted the coronavirus have been attending COVID-19 parties for the past few weeks as part of a game to intentionally infect others, according to a member of the city council.
Tuscaloosa City Councilwoman Sonya McKinstry told ABC News that party organizers are deliberately inviting guests who tested positive for COVID-19 with the goal of infecting each other with money.
“They put money in a pot and tried to get COVID,” he told the news network. “Whoever gets COVID gets the pot first. It doesn’t make sense. They are doing it on purpose.”
McKinstry did not respond to calls and emails from Fox News.
ALEX BERENSON TO SOME TEACHERS FROM ARIZONA WHO SPEAK TO OPEN THE SCHOOLS: ‘DO YOUR JOB. OR FIND ANOTHER.
Tuscaloosa Fire Chief Randy Smith said investigators spoke with doctors and the state health department to confirm that the parts of COVID-19 were not just a rumor.
“In the past few weeks we have seen parties in the county, or across the city and county in various places where the students or children would come up with known positives. We thought it was a rumor at first … We did additional research … Not only did doctors’ offices help confirm it, but the state confirmed they also had the same information, “Smith told the city council Tuesday, according to WBMA-TV.
The council then passed an ordinance ordering the use of masks in public.
McKinstry told ABC News that he fears future party guests may not be aware of the true intent of the meetings and may be exposed to the virus that has infected more than 2.6 million people and killed more than 128,000 across the country. .
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
“We are trying to break up any party we meet,” he said. “But I think when it comes to the mindsets of people who intentionally do things like that and are intentionally spreading them, how can they really fight something that people are constantly trying to promote?”
As of Wednesday, Alabama reported more than 38,440 new cases of COVID-19 and 947 deaths, according to the state Department of Public Health.
