PORTLAND, Maine – At least seven people died as a result coronavirus According to public health officials, the outbreak continues to afflict people in Maine after a wedding reception held in the summer that violated state rules on fighting the virus.
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.
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Maine authorities have identified overlaps with wedding receptions and disease outbreaks in other parts of the state. Maine CDC officials said the wedding was attended by a York County jail officer. Maine health officials also said an employee at the Madison Rehab Center, which is the site of six of the seven deaths, attended the event.
Wedding-related cases of the virus have spanned hundreds of miles in a state that has largely controlled the spread of the coronavirus during the summer. In total, Maine has reported fewer than 5,000 cases of the virus since March.
But the growing number of wedding-related cases exceeding government norms of 50 people or fewer in indoor meetings could offset this progress if it continues to grow. Authorities said more than 65 people attended the wedding.
FILE – On August 18, 2020, photo from file shows the Big Moose Inn on Millinocket Lake in Millinocket, Maine. The COVID-19 outbreak linked to a wedding reception held at a hotel in early August has resulted in more than 175 cases of the virus and at least five deaths.
(Linda Coan O’Kresick / The Bangor Daily News via AP, file)
The wedding was also hosted by Pastor Todd Bell of Calvary Baptist Church in Sanford. The Maine CDC is currently investigating to determine if the church outbreak is related to the outbreak of weddings.
On Tuesday, Calvary Baptist Church issued a statement saying that “several members of Calvary Baptist Church attended” the wedding reception. In a statement, the church is taking steps to limit the spread of the virus and will defend its right to continue to hold services.
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“The Baptist Church at Calvary has the legal right to meet. “The right of a local Christian church, Jewish synagogue or Muslim mosque to gather for their religious services is a time-honored piece of our country’s history since its founding,” the statement said. “This religious activity is also fully protected by the First Amendment to our United States Constitution.”
Bell has criticized the government’s attempts to control the coronavirus, and videos show that he conducted services without using social distancing. He hired a lawyer known in the country as an advocate for the religious rights of churches. Neither Bell nor Gibbs responded to Tuesday’s request for comment.
Associated Press author David Sharp contributed to this report.
