Did a Maine Wedding Become a COVID-19 ‘Superspreader' Leaving 7 Dead and 177 Infected?
Reports that came out earlier this week said 'a wedding in rural Maine' turned out to be a COVID-19 'superspreader' event, leaving seven people dead and over 170 individuals infected.
Reports that came out earlier this week said that a wedding in rural Maine turned out to be a COVID-19 "superspreader" event, leaving seven people dead and over 170 individuals infected.
Now, for the community and the broader region that had eased social distancing protocols introduced earlier in the pandemic, this news was said to be a wake-up call.
According to the head of the town council, Cody McEwen, when they heard of the outbreak, "Everyone really hunkered down." And as soon as the outbreak occurred, McEwen added, they closed the town again.
News reports also said residents were angry at the organizers of the event, beginning with the tavern that got a temporary suspension of its license.
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Rules Not Followed
Commenting on the "superspreader" event, Baptist church member Nina Obrikis said she doesn't think they should have had the wedding. She added, the event should have been limited like it was supposed to.
Last month's wedding was attended by 65 guests, which was beyond the official limit of only 50 guests at any gathering.
Ten days after the wedding, two dozen individuals reportedly linked to the wedding tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Maine to initiate an investigation.
Meanwhile, Sanford-based Calvary Baptist Church's Rev. Todd Bell, the officiant at the wedding, was joined by many other members of his congregation of only about 10 of which were reported to have tested positive for the virus.
Church Encourages Congregants Not to Wear Face Masks
The church leader continued holding services in Sanford and bristled over criticisms about him on social media. In one of his sermons, Bell reportedly urged the churchgoers to trust God over the government.
A report from WGME, a CBS affiliate, said Bell was questioning the wisdom of masks, comparing their effectiveness "to a chain-link fence" attempting to keep out mosquitoes.
Furthermore, an attorney for this religious personality said, the church encourages congregants not to put on face masks and face shields, and is also not a requirement at Sanford Christian Academy, the church's school.
A now-unavailable video showed Bell saying, he has been 'reviled' because of the wedding. Furthermore, the church's representative, the National Center for Life and Liberty said, Bell and his family have been getting death threats.
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The Wedding, Linked to Various Virus Hotspots Statewide
According to Maine CDC director, Dr. Nirav Shah, no one among the seven reported dead had gone to the wedding.
Meanwhile, contact tracers associated the wedding to various virus hotspots within the state, including over 80 COVID-19 cases in a prison 230 miles away, where one of the guards was a guest at the ceremony.
Ten more probable cases were identified in the area's Baptist church, while 39 other infections, and six reported deaths, were said to be at a nursing home, 100 miles away from Millinocket.
On Tuesday, Maine Governor Janet Mills issued a warning to the state's 1.3 million residents saying, such flare-ups are threatening "to undo the gains we have made at the drop of a hat." She also said, COVID-19 "is in our yards" and not on the other side of the fence.
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Sep 19, 2020 07:20 AM EDT
