One wedding reception
Jeez. Be careful out there, mind how you go, soyez sage. Don’t forget (let alone refuse) to wear a mask.
The number of COVID-19 cases connected to a wedding reception in Millinocket continues to climb, with state health officials saying on Saturday that they could trace 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus to the reception. That’s up from 32 confirmed cases on Friday.
53! From one wedding! Some were secondary or tertiary.
Millinocket Regional Hospital has reported that it tested 366 people who attended the reception or came in contact with those who did. Of the 53 cases linked to the reception on Saturday, 13 were secondary and 10 were tertiary, Maine CDC spokesman Robert Long said Saturday evening.
One woman has died. She didn’t attend the reception.
Big Moose Inn, which hosted the event, was cited for an “imminent health hazard,” which carries no fine but can bring harsher penalties if state officials determine the venue violated health rules again. The wedding reception had 65 people, more than the state maximum of 50 for indoor gatherings.
…
“Social gatherings such as weddings and receptions pose an elevated risk for virus transmission,” the Maine CDC said in a statement. “The possibility of COVID-19 transmission increases as the number of attendees increases, even when some attendees are indoors and others are outdoors. This is because outdoor attendees may reasonably be expected to come indoors and interact with others, increasing the possibility of COVID-19 transmission.”
Err on the side of caution.
I know relatives who have postponed their weddings until next year (at the earliest, depending on circumstances). No-one I know wants to be responsible, however indirectly, for the death of someone else. It worries me that so many people aren’t being careful enough. When the preventive measures appear to be working, I cannot see the rationale in lifting them. We need to be re-thinking the way we do things so that people can be truly safe.
Way back when covid was a fear in NZ, but hadn’t really started to bite, a wedding was held in Bluff. Because authorities were recommending restricted numbers, separation and no physical contact, the organisers listened. They did everything right. Elbow bumps, restricted numbers, spread seating. One infected guest (not yet symptomatic, resulted in a cluster of 91 (I think). Guests, but also family, friends, colleagues plus their family friends and colleagues. That’s how this works.