MILLINOCKET, Maine — A seventh novel coronavirus death has been linked to a wedding reception in Maine, but none of those people who have succumbed to their COVID-19 infections actually attended the August event, health officials confirmed Tuesday.
To date, more than 175 COVID-19 cases have been traced to the Aug. 7 nuptials celebrated at the Big Moose Inn outside Millinocket, even though the rustic event was attended by only 65 close family members and friends, The Washington Post reported.
Maine wedding ‘superspreader’ event is now linked to seven deaths. None of those people attended.
— Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) September 16, 2020
And this is the problem: 10-20% of infected people are responsible for 80% of #covid19 spread. We can't predict who these individuals are.https://t.co/sIc3gX07bp
Health officials contend that because guests flouted social distancing and mask guidelines, the virus' reach expanded far and wide, spreading most notably to the Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center in Madison, where six residents have now died from COVID-19, the Post reported.
According to the Bangor Daily News, COVID-19 infections began circulating through Maplecrest in mid-August after an employee contracted the virus from a parent, who had caught it from another child who attended the Aug. 7 wedding. Since that time, at least 24 residents and 15 employees have tested positive for COVID-19, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed.
Meanwhile, a substantial number of cases linked to the wedding have also been detected more than 200 miles to the south at the York County Jail. Virus diagnoses reportedly exploded among the corrections facility’s inmates, workers and their families after an employee attended the wedding, the Daily News reported.
Cox Media Group
