After a wedding and a birthday party in Suffolk County, N.Y., over 50 people tested positive for COVID-19 and about 300 were left in quarantine, reports NBC News.
North Fork Country Club, the wedding venue, faced a $17,000 state-issued fine after the 91-person wedding on Oct. 17 led to 30 cases of COVID-19 and about 160 people in quarantine. The venue was in violation of the state's 50-person gathering limit. A nearby 50-person birthday party led to over half of the guests testing positive and 132 in quarantine.
Officials said six local school districts were also affected by the positive cases related to these events.
"This kind of blatant disregard for the well-being of others is not only extremely disappointing, it will not be tolerated," Steven Bellone, Suffolk County executive, said in a local news conference.
Suffolk County is currently listed as one of the 15 counties with the most deaths on the Johns Hopkins' COVID-19 tracking site.
More articles on public health:
Number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, state by state: Oct. 28
Young adults less likely to take COVID-19 prevention measures, CDC finds
25 states where COVID-19 is spreading fastest, slowest: Oct. 28