Health Officials Ask 300 Ritzville-Area Attendees To Isolate After COVID Cases Linked To Wedding

Updated Nov. 17, 2020, 4:10 p.m. PT

BY ELIE LEVINE

People who attended a wedding on Nov. 7 near Ritzville, Washington, have tested positive for the coronavirus. Health officials are asking more than 300 people who were in attendance to get tested and quarantine through Nov. 21, the Grant County Health District said Monday in a statement.

The information came out from the Grand County Health District, though Ritzville is located in neighboring Adams County.

(See more on this story from The Columbia Basin Herald.)

Nearly 40 cases in Grant County have been linked to the wedding, and wedding attendees diagnosed with the coronavirus have been linked to two subsequent outbreaks, health officials said. At the time of the event, wedding ceremonies in the area were capped at 30 people.

Washington state health officials shared data during a Nov. 10, 2020 media briefing that shows the uptick in COVID-19 spread across the state. CREDIT: WA Dept. of Health

Weddings continue to be a significant source of outbreaks. A 55-person wedding in Maine in August led to the deaths of seven people who were not in attendance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 177 cases were linked to the wedding.

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Washington has seen a total of 131,532 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,548 deaths, according to the state Department of Health. Nearly 2% of people who had the coronavirus in Washington have died.

Ahead of Thanksgiving, as cases surge in Washington, state officials are urging residents to stay home to stop the spread of the virus. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has issued a new order that prohibits indoor gatherings, with some exceptions, and closes indoor dine-in service at bars and restaurants.

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