A 65-person indoor wedding led to a coronavirus outbreak in Maine. At least 28 people linked to the wedding have tested positive for COVID-19.

Previously, offices and assisted living facilities were the only places tied to outbreaks in the state.

Local health officials are investigating the wedding venue, Big Moose Inn, and doing contact tracing to contain the outbreak.

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Maine had its first-ever social gathering-related coronavirus outbreak this week after 65 people met at an indoor wedding venue.

On Monday, officials at Millinocket Regional Hospital in Millinocket, Maine confirmed 28 positive COVID-19 tests, which were all linked to the wedding, CBS News reported.

18 of the positive COVID-19 tests came from people who attended the wedding at Big Moose Inn on August 7, and six positive tests came from people who didn’t attend the wedding but had close contact with those who did, Maine CDC officials reported on Monday.

Everyone who tested positive so far is a Maine resident.

Post by Millinocket Regional Hospital.

Health officials said they expect to uncover more positive cases linked to the wedding as they continue to contact trace.

In Maine, current pandemic safety orders only allow for 50-person indoor gatherings and 100-person outdoor gatherings.

Maine CDC officials have reached out to the venue to better understand the nature of the event, according to a press release. If they find the venue owners in violation of the governor’s order, they could be fined up to $10,000.

Before the wedding-related outbreak, offices and assisted living facilities were the only locations known to have caused outbreaks in Maine, Maine CDC spokesman Robert Long told CBS.

Weddings have become hotspots for coronavirus spread

Other states have also experienced coronavirus outbreaks as the result of weddings.

In July, a San Francisco couple and eight of their wedding guests tested positive for COVID-19 after a city official shut down their secret 100-person event at Saints Peter & Paul Church.

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“This is the perfect example of why public health officials have been trying to convince people of the problems with getting together in crowds,” John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert at UC Berkeley told the San Francisco Chronicle of the incident.

Weddings in New York, Pennsylvania, and Kansas have also been tied to local coronavirus outbreaks.

Houston-based wedding planner Sarah Bett told the New York Times that it’s nearly impossible to get every guest to abide by coronavirus safety protocols, especially when different venues have different rules.

“Some venues make the bride wear masks, while others say those walking down the aisle are exempt,” she told the Times. “It’s a little lawless down here.”

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