MILLINOCKET, Maine Of the 32 positive COVID-19 cases associated with a wedding reception in Millinocket, one has died, Millinocket Regional Hospital announced Friday. Forgot your First published on September 15, 2020 / 1:25 PM. The setting was rustic, romantic: a lakefront inn in rural Maine at the height of summer. All Rights Reserved. Super-spreading wedding party demonstrates COVID-19 risk posed by holiday gatherings. The wedding outbreak is especially resonant in Americas rural communities, where gatherings are a lifeline and where, some public health experts fear, the lack of significant virus transmission may have lulled residents into a false sense of complacency. She didnt want to give her name, but she said that shed worked for Big Moose for seven years and had found out she was pregnant with her first child on August 1, six days before the now-infamous wedding. They also disregarded advice to remain at least six feet away from people who werent members of their own households. Theyve been quarantining themselves. Aug. 7 wedding in Millinocket, Maine, now linked to 134 coronavirus It comes after El Salvador rounded up more than 64,000 alleged gang members in the country's crackdown on . Maine's seven-day postivity rate among those tested is 0.74% compared to 7% nationwide. By early September, officials with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention had linked at least 147 cases to the wedding including outbreaks at a jail and a nursing home in York County, more than 200 miles away. Per the executive order issued by Maines governor, all seven of them received negative test results for coronavirus shortly after they arrived and did not need to quarantine, according to the CDC report. Flu and COVID combo shots won't be ready this year, FDA official says, White House pushing Congress to pass funding to combat pandemic-related fraud, FBI chief says agency feels pandemic likely started with Chinese lab leak. I had no idea that there was a wedding going on, and it was surprising to find out that there were 60-plus people, she said. Helen Lynch was 86 and living with Alzheimers. Super-spreader wedding party shows COVID holiday dangers - Los Angeles The coronavirus test result for the index patient came in. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photos of the event show them lined up with five groomsmen and four bridesmaids. When Shah broadcast that warning on July 30, Maine hadn't traced any outbreaks to house parties or large social gatherings, although that kind of transmission was happening in many other states. There are 21 cabins of various sizesoverlooking a beautiful mountain lake. And, he adds, simply keeping the number of people at an event under 50 does not mean COVID-19 will not be present or spread; this can only be done by people actively taking personal precautions such as wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing. Further, Brown wanted to remind people that the post-wedding dinner was just one of three events that day, and that the attendees of the wedding and the dinner made the personal decision to not keep their masks on or to practice social distancing. The first death occurred on August 21, exactly two weeks after the wedding. The pair stressed that the need to be vigilant is as important now as it was in March, when measures were first taken to slow the outbreak of the disease. There has been vitriol from some online insults and anger in comments left on the social media pages of those who attended and on local news articles. Shah said the outbreak Maines first linked to a social gathering has raised thorny questions about enforcement as much of the nation returns to some level of activity. The couple held their wedding reception in an event room at the Big Moose Inn. Others have been more sympathetic, especially as the focus remains on containing the outbreak. It was already shut down for the season, but there was a groundskeeper cleaning up leaves with a leaf blower. Included in the 147 are the cases at the York County Jail and the Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center. There is no doubt that this virus is dangerous with wide-ranging impacts, Cormier wrote. Do I need another booster? We never expected to get COVID. Some of the vendors we work with are Do you know how you want your wedding to look are you interest in seeing some of the beautiful creations from the many people who got married here? Now, Millinockets town hall is closed to the public, and its police department is responding to non-emergency calls by phone only. The August wedding reception at the Big Moose Inn in Millinocket is linked to more than 175 confirmed cases of the virus, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. 2023 NEWS CENTER Maine. All the things that make rural America more vulnerable to any kind of disturbance of the equilibrium are magnified tenfold when youre thinking about covid-19, Shah said. At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Trump met with early primary state GOP leaders. Nine cases linked to the wedding were tracked to the Maple Crest Rehabilitation facility, while 18 more cases were identified as having found a way inside the York County Jail complex via a. But Mills and Shah emphasized Tuesday that one incident can have wide-ranging effects. The outbreak also spread to workers homes, infecting 16 of their household contacts.. RELATED: Maine CDC: COVID-19 outbreaks in Madison and York County are linked to Millinocket wedding/reception. Three days after the wedding, a guest who worked at an area school system went to an in-person school meeting even though that guest had started to cough; two school staff members subsequently tested positive within days, forcing all the areas schools to delay their reopening by two weeks. "We know we cant let down our guard now," shesaid. Were still investigating if there are any linkages among them. In light of the situation in York County and Sanford, please do not go to work if you are not feeling well," Shah said. He encouraged parishioners, and those watching at home via livestream, to come, too. Millinocket Regional Hospital has set up expanded coronavirus testing at its walk-in clinic in East Millinocket. Your Photographer is one of the most important selections you will make on your day. "I went to the wedding. Our privacy policy. One person who tested positive and is linked to the outbreak had been hospitalized as of Wednesday afternoon, Peterson said. Please allow cookies to continue reading. Another person who had performed as a musician at the reception came down with a cough. Our windows are small. He also confirmed, in response to a reporter's question, that the pastor of a church in Sanford officiated at the East Millinocket wedding. It truly is the most perfect setting for a beautiful Maine wedding. They included 27 of the 55 reception guests 49% of those in attendance as well as the musician, a staff member at the inn, and a customer at the inn who was not there for the wedding party. While we cannot be sure the virus was fully spread at our facility, we know that there are things that we can be doing better, the inns statement said. Gavin Newsom has announced a stay-at-home order affecting most of California. "The bride got married in her father's church in East. The big thing we noticed was that everybody was close together and there were no masks, Zaker said. Can you pronounce this word better. That has proved true in Millinocket, a close-knit town of about 4,500 once known for its thriving paper mill. Wedding Venues in Millinocket, ME - The Knot Modern Minimalist by Vera Wang Beloved Floral - Red Romantic Calligraphy Elegant Glow - Blue Maine Wedding Venues 92 Wedding Venues in Millinocket, ME How do we sort search results? 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stay safe and informed with our free Coronavirus Updates newsletter. You can also login or register for a free account. Difficult. None of the seven people who have died attended the wedding, CBS affiliate WABI reported. It was a beautiful wedding," Pastor Bell said to his congregation. The couple who held the wedding, who haven't been publicly identified, and the church where it took place, Tri-Town Baptist Church in East Millinocket, haven't been cited, but Shah said the investigation is ongoing. (Linda Coan O'Kresik/Bangor Daily News/AP) Article This story was updated since. Not very much is known about the wedding itself, because nobody who went to it has talked to the media. Millinocket's best FREE dating site! The bride got married in her fathers church in East Millinocket, and it was just beyond stupid and foolish for them to have a wedding. Big Moose has been in owner Laurie Cormiers family since 1976. Overnight, Millinocket Regional Hospital saw testing leap from an average of 20 to 25 per day to 100 per day. There could have been even more cases. Included in the 147 are the cases at the York County Jail and the Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center. ", She added, "A woman who never even attended the wedding or the reception, who interacted with someone else who did attend the wedding or reception,lost her life to this virus. Contact [emailprotected]neoc.com to book your wedding with us. That, Mills said, is exactly the problem with such an event. Therefore, the infection rate was a conservative estimate. Mainebiz is producing a special publication to examine the startup infrastructure in Maine and the resources available to help entrepreneurs at the various stages of the startup journey. The inns staff, the statement said, has worked hard to follow all of the rules to the best of our understanding since we opened for the season on May 22, and employees wear masks and have increased cleaning. Todd Bell was the officiant, and he arrived on August 6 as well, flying up from Sanford, in southern Maine, in one of the private planes he had acquired in partnership with the church for his Wings With the Word aviation ministry. We have an broad range of hair and makeup artists to work with in the area. Whether you want to plan everydetail or leave it to the meticulous guidance of our wedding coordinator, your receptionwill truly be a celebration. Over the next 38 days, the virus spread to 176 other people. The wedding was held at the Tri-Town Baptist Church. If they knew they were the ones at fault, Im sure theyd feel terrible.. The bulk of these cases 76% involved people ages 30 to 59. How an intimate wedding in rural Maine led to the state's largest COVID Two-thirds of the facilitys residents were at least 75 years old, and 88% of them had at least one preexisting medical condition that could have made them more vulnerable to the virus. I started thinking, Oh my word, what if I was around them? At one point, the rate was less than half a percentage point. This can take a few The report noted that a list of reception attendees was not available, and some infected people may have been missed. In June, she posted pictures from the bridal shower in East Millinocket, noting that she and the bride, #BestFriends22YearsAndCounting, were celebrating in the same little town where their mothers had had a joint baby shower for them some 22 years earlier. Under the sky or under a tent, this reception is yours. As a result, local schools had to push back their first day by two weeks. "Gone are the days when powering through the workday with a cold isthe heroic thing to do. She said she knows three families that have at least one infection. By the 20th, 30 people who had attended, worked, or otherwise been present at the wedding venue were positive for the virusroughly half the attendees. For much of the drive, theres nothing but trees. Outbreaks at Maplecrest and at the York County Jail have been linked to the wedding. They think its out there in the cities and were not going to get it. The fact the majority of Maine individuals and businesses are following the rules is what has kept the state's number of cases among the lowest in the country, Mills said.