COVID outbreak after Eastern WA wedding doubles and spreads to schools, nursing home

The number of people with COVID-19 infections traced to a large wedding near Ritzville in Eastern Washington has doubled in 24 hours.

More than 300 people attended the Nov. 7 wedding, even though wedding receptions in the area where it was held were then limited by the state to just 30 guests.

More cases are expected to be confirmed as the investigation continues.

Tuesday evening the Grant County Health District staff said known cases from the superspreader event were approaching 40 in that county, up from 17 known on Monday evening.

Adams County also has confirmed six cases linked to the wedding. The Benton Franklin Health District suspects there may be cases linked to the wedding in the Tri-Cities area and is investigating.

The wedding was in rural Adams County north of the Tri-Cities, but cases are being investigated by Grant County because the wedding was held by Grant County residents.

The Grant County Health District continues to be concerned that it cannot reach all of the more than 300 people who attended the wedding from many communities.

The health district is recommending that if you were a guest at the Nov. 7 wedding that you be tested and self-quarantine through Saturday, Nov. 21.

Wedding held in hangar

Family and friends from across the state were invited to the wedding by hosts who lived in the Moses Lake and Othello areas, said Karen Potts, Adams County community health director.

It was held in a rural airplane hangar about 20 miles west of Ritzville, she said.

Guests interviewed by the Adams County Health Department reported that they were at the reception for several hours. Masks were available if guests wanted them, they said.

Two COVID outbreaks have been linked to guests at the wedding or those they infected, according to the Grant County Health District.

One is in a school district and the other in a long-term care home. However, the district has not released more about those locations.

As more testing and investigation is done, it is too soon to say how many people were infected in those outbreaks, the health district said.

Adams County is in Phase 2 of the state’s Safe Start reopening plan, just as Benton and Franklin counties are, putting the limit for reception guests at the time of the wedding at 30.

Following Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement Sunday of tighter restrictions statewide, indoor wedding receptions are prohibited across Washington state. Wedding ceremonies continue to be limited to no more than 30 people.

Wedding organizers in all counties should be keeping a log of those who attend ceremonies and retaining it for at least two weeks, say officials. The information could be critical to saving lives, according to the health district.

This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 12:50 PM.