Cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to wedding in southwest Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Health is investigating a cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to a wedding in southwest Minnesota.
The department says there have been several guests of the wedding in Ghent, Lyon County, on Aug. 22 who have developed symptoms and tested positive for the virus.
Furthermore, it said it is "likely many more were exposed and could be infectious."
"Due to the potential for a large number of people having been infected at the event, health officials from the two agencies (MDH and Southwest Health and Human Services) are recommending strong measures to limit spread of the virus as much as possible."
Anyone who was in close contact with a wedding attendee who tested positive for COVID-19 has been told to self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with that person.
Those who are unsure if they had contact, but were at the wedding, reception, or at KB's Bar and Grill in Ghent on Aug. 22 have been told to "limit interactions" with others as much as possible, wear a face mask and social distance for 14 days from the wedding.
While events have been allowed to resume after limits on crowd restrictions were loosened to a maximum of 250, there have been instances of COVID-19 outbreaks being linked to weddings.
This most notably happened in Maine earlier this month, when 53 people tested positive for COVID-19 in an outbreak linked back to a wedding, with one person dying having been in contact with someone who attended.