A wedding in Maine in early August has been linked to 175 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, The Washington Post reports.
The Maine CDC said Sept. 15 that the coronavirus outbreak that was traced to an Aug. 7 wedding in Millinocket, Maine, is growing. At the wedding, guests ignored social distancing guidelines and mask recommendations.
As of Sept. 1, the number of COVID-19 cases linked to the wedding had spiked to 134, and cases at Alfred-based York County Jail and the Maplecrest Rehabilitation & Living Center in Madison were also traced to the event.
Of the seven deaths, six were residents of the Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center, Maine CDC Director Nirav Shah, MD, said at a news briefing, the Post reports.
The nursing home was issued an "imminent health hazard" citation by state officials in August, and the facility has issued a statement saying that they did not interpret capacity rules correctly, though employees wear a mask and cleaning has increased in the facility, the Post reports.
The quick spread of cases stemming from the wedding has worried state health officials. It is an indication of "how virulent the disease can be and how far-reaching the effects can be," Dr. Shah said.
The wedding is one in a list of several "superspreader" events in the country over the summer, including the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota, the Post reports.
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