She and Aidsand Wright-Riggins, borough mayor, said Ursinus transparency, communication with the community and testing plan have been a comfort. The college over the years has built a strong relationship with the community, inviting residents in for movie nights, art shows, concerts and other events, they said.
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The Trump administration and Congress have agreed to pass a bill to avoid a government shutdown without tying funding to separate measures such as coronavirus relief, Vice President Mike Pencesaid Friday.
Approving a continuing resolution, which would temporarily set federal spending at current levels, would not inject the heated politics of pandemic aid into efforts to keep the government running.
"Now, we can focus just on another relief bill, and we're continuing to do that in good faith," he told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."
Government funding will lapse if Congress does not pass legislation before the end of the month. Speculation had grown that congressional leaders could try to include coronavirus relief measures in a spending package as a way to gain leverage in stimulus negotiations that have barely moved forward since they fell apart last month.
US Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in the Brady Briefing Room at the White House on April 7, 2020, in Washington, DC.
Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Pence's comments Friday indicated the stalemate over how much money to put into boosting the economy could linger. Democrats have pushed the Trump administration to increase the price tag on their stimulus offer to at least $2.2 trillion from about $1.3 trillion. The White House has not yet budged.
Pence criticized Democrats over perhaps the largest remaining sticking point in talks. Democratic leaders want more than $900 billion in new aid to cash-crunched state and local governments, while the Trump administration has offered $150 billion.
"We're not going to allow Democrats in Congress to use a coronavirus relief bill to bail out poorly run Democratic states," the vice president said.
The bipartisan National Governors Association has asked for at least $500 billion more in state and municipal aid. Governments have warned of possible cuts to essential services as they take on more costs and lose revenue during the pandemic.
Pence repeatedly made the case for another round of stimulus checks as part of the fifth coronavirus rescue package. He said "nobody wants to give direct payments to American families more than Donald Trump again."
The vice president spoke to CNBC after the Labor Department reported U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 1.37 million and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.4%.Pence called the data "real evidence that the American comeback is underway."
The jobless rate remains significantly higher than it was before the Covid-19 outbreak hit the U.S. earlier this year. Permanent job losses in August also increased by 534,000 to 3.4 million.
"8.4% unemployment is nothing to brag about," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in response to President Donald Trump's Friday morning tweet celebrating the jobs report.
Despite four straight months of strong employment growth, the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance and a federal moratorium on evictions has led to concerns of sharper suffering for many Americans. Even so, after Friday's jobs report, White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow told Bloomberg that "we can live with" not striking a coronavirus relief deal, according to Reuters.
In the absence of congressional action to address those and other coronavirus relief measures, the Trump administration has taken limited steps to offer aid on its own.
On Tuesday, the White House moved to halt evictions until the end of the year using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authority. It followed the administration's executive actions to temporarily extend extra jobless benefits for some Americans, continue student loan assistance and forgive the employee portion of the payroll tax.
Senate Republicans aim to take up a narrow pandemic aid plan when they return from their August recess next week. Democrats oppose the roughly $500 billion proposal, meaning it likely will not get through Congress and become law.
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(CNN) Just a day after marking the significant milestone of 100 days without local coronavirus transmission, the virus has reared its head once again in Thailand.
News of a fresh infection came as the Thai government faces growing pressure from businesses to reopen borders to international tourists, as months of travel restrictions have devastated its heavily tourism-dependent economy.
The latest case was revealed to be a 37-year-old man who was arrested in Bangkok on drugs charges and tested positive after arriving at a Bangkok correctional center. Health officials say that he had no recent travel history and that his quarantine cellmates had all tested negative.
"This case is a local transmission case after over 100 days were passed with no report of locally transmitted infection," Dr. Suwannachai Wattanayincharoen, director of Thailand's Disease Control Department, told a press conference on Thursday.
Until the announcement, the Southeast Asian country has not recorded any local infections since late May. It is still finding coronavirus cases in overseas arrivals, who are subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine period. Patients remain in quarantine until they've recovered.
So far, the country of 70 million people has a caseload of just 3,427, with 58 deaths. More than 28% of the reported infections are overseas cases, according to the Health Ministry.
People donning facemasks walk along Khao San Road, a popular area for tourists in Bangkok, Thailand on March 6, 2020.
JACK TAYLOR/AFP/AFP via Getty Images
The country had first refrained from banning Chinese tourists, but in late March, when its caseload surged close to 1,000, the Thai government declared a state of emergency and banned all non-resident foreigners from entering.
The border closure has helped protect the country while the virus rages across the world, but it has also dealt a huge blow to its tourist sector, which according to the World Bank normally contributes close to 15% of Thailand's GDP.
In June, the Tourism Council of Thailand said it expected to see an estimated 8 million foreign tourists this year, an 80% drop from last year's record number of 39.8 million.
"We hope that we can find ways to bring back tourists in the future. Bringing tourists back is one of the key factors to revive the Thai economy in the remaining part of this year and next year as well," said Don Nakornthab, Senior Director of Economic and Policy Department at the Bank of Thailand.
"But we have to do it carefully, because if the second wave happens, especially as a result from opening up for tourists, it will put Thailand into trouble again," he said at a press conference Monday.
"Safe and Sealed"
"I have asked the prime minister for approval to set October 1 as the date to allow (inbound) tourists to enter," he said. "I also have requested to use Phuket as a pilot model ... and have received approval from the Center for Economic Situation Administration."
If successful, the project will be expanded to include other destinations.
In the beginning, tourists will be permitted to fly into Phuket -- Thailand's largest island -- and will need to quarantine in a designated resort for 14 days.
Phiphat cited popular Patong Beach as an example of an area where this could work. Special one-kilometer zones consisting of three-to-four resorts could be set up there, allowing quarantined tourists to spend time on the beach -- so long as they stay in their designated area.
Travelers will need to get tested for Covid-19 at the beginning and end of their quarantine period. Then, they will be free to travel on the island.
But the minister says tourists who wish to travel beyond Phuket will have to stay in quarantine for an additional seven days and will have a third Covid-19 test at the end of that 21-day quarantine period.
Hotel staff who work in these designated zones will not be permitted to leave without first going into quarantine and will be tested regularly for Covid-19 as well to prevent the spread of the virus.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told CNN Travel last month the plan had been approved by the government and the next step involves holding a public hearing to get approval from local residents -- which is expected to take place in early September.
As October draws closer, however, Yuthasak said on Thursday that Phuket might not be able to receive tourists on October 1 as planned.
"There is still a lot to be done. The prime minister has just said that we have to make preparations," he said.
Vichit Prakobgosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said most members of the association strongly support the program and hope to see tourists returning to Thailand in the last quarter of the year.
"This must be done urgently, (otherwise) Thailand will really be in deep trouble. There will be even more people losing their jobs," he said.
Balancing risks
While the tourism and hospitality sectors are keen to reopen borders, many Thai residents remain concerned about the potential health risk.
According to a poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration in July, over 55% of the 1,251 people surveyed across Thailand were against a proposed "medical and wellness" program, which would open the country to foreigners who test negative for Covid-19 for medical treatment.
Thais don't need to look far for a cautionary example of how easily the virus can resurface in countries where it has seemingly been eliminated.
In June, Thailand proposed the idea of a "travel bubble" with select countries where infection numbers were kept low. The plan would have allowed travelers to move between those destinations without having to go through quarantine.
However, the proposal was shelved after new waves of infections hit multiple potential destinations under Thailand's consideration, including Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.
Yuthasak told CNN on Thursday that the plan hasn't been revived. "We are not looking at that option for now," he said.
CNN's Karla Cripps contributed to this report.
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Thailand managed 101 days without local coronavirus cases. Will it open borders soon? - CNN
CLEVELAND, Ohio State agents on Friday cited five bars four of which are in Northeast Ohio and said the establishments violated coronavirus-related safety restrictions.
The Ohio Investigative Unit visited the bars after they received complaints of blatant violations of the restrictions the state enacted to try and slow the spread of the virus, according to a news release.
Of the five bars, two are in Willowick in Lake County, two are in Akron and one is in Columbus.
Agents cited Stage Pass in Willowick, accusing them of disorderly activity and violating the states new 10 p.m. cutoff for selling drinks, the release states. Agents went to the bar at 9:35 p.m. and saw between 50 and 75 people inside. Employees had not set up any physical barriers and people stood too close together, according to authorities.
Finally, bartenders who did not wear masks, gave patrons drinks after the 10 p.m., the release states.
At Kates Bar & Grill in Willowick, agents cited the bar for allowing patrons to drink after 11 p.m., according to authorities.
At the Highland Tavern in Akron, agents saw about 80 people there standing too close together, according to the news release. Agents bought drinks at 11:45 p.m. from bartenders who did not have on masks, the release states.
The establishment was given two citations. The release notes that the bar received citations on three other occasions.
At the Cedar Wings Lounge in Akron, employees allowed patrons to drink alcohol after the 11 p.m. cutoff for consumption, and agents cited the bar, according to the release.
Finally, at Buckeye Crazy Restaurant and Sports Bar in Columbus, agents bought drinks at 10:20 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and cited the bar afterward, the release states.
The citations will go before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission, which will determine whether the bars will face penalties, which could include fines and the suspension or revocation of liquor permits.
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BOSTON (CBS) While every industry was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant industry has particularly struggled and many iconic Boston bars have permanently closed as a result. Here is a running list:
Do you know of another Boston bar that has closed because of COVID-19? Email us atwebstaff@cbsboston.com.
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Boston Bars That Have Closed Because Of The Coronavirus Pandemic - CBS Boston
We all know that if someone with the coronavirus coughs or sneezes on you, you're at risk of catching it.
But even when we speak or laugh or breathe, particles come out of our noses and mouths. Big bits of spittle can fly out when you're shouting and singing, along with respiratory droplets and tiny aerosolized particles that come out in clouds that may linger in the air. And if we're infected with the coronavirus even if we don't have any symptoms those excretions could contain live, contagious SARS-COV-2 that can make others sick.
In some settings especially poorly ventilated indoor rooms where many people are gathering researchers increasingly believe that clouds of the virus expelled when someone speaks are able to stay aloft in the air and potentially infect people farther away than the recommended 6 feet of social distance.
In these settings, an infectious person shouting or laughing or coughing can release clouds containing the virus that can build up, linger and waft in the air and then be inhaled by passersby and settle in their lungs.
What's the evidence, you ask?
There was that time in late January, when 10 people were infected in a windowless restaurant in Guangzhou, China. More than 80 people had shared the dining room during the lunch period but the 10 who got sick were all sitting in the path of one air conditioning vent that may have sucked in viral particles from someone in the room who was later confirmed to have COVID-19.
Another classic example scientists bring up is a choir practice, back in March in Washington state. Fifty-three out of 61 people who attended came down with COVID-19. The act of singing, where you're breathing deeply and projecting your voice, can spews tiny virus particles from deep inside the lungs that can then stay aloft in the air.
Researchers think those clouds of airborne coronavirus exhaled by infectious people may be a key factor in superspreading events one gathering that results in a number of new cases.
Clusters of infections have also emerged among students returning to college dormitories in North Carolina, musicians and revelers in a nightclub district in Hong Kong, guests at a wedding reception in rural Maine, residents in a nursing home in The Netherlands, worshippers at a church in South Korea, staff and inmates at a prison in Ohio.
"We see this over and over and over again," said Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the World Health Organization's emergencies program, on Aug. 21, "This virus is being driven by outbreaks in clusters."
What's still unclear is how long the virus lingers in the air, how far it travels through a room, how much you need to breathe in to get infected and how commonly it spreads this way.
But scientists say it's become increasingly clear that airborne virus particles help the coronavirus superspread.
So if a friend invites you over for drinks and you want to say yes, what can you do to protect yourself?
Make the indoors more like the outdoors
That's what researchers recommend, because it seems that airflow is a factor in transmission. "You limit aerosol transmission by increasing ventilation and increasing air circulation," says Seema Lakdawala, a flu researcher at University of Pittsburgh, which means opening the windows that surround you and putting fans in them, facing inward, to draw outside air in. That fresh air will scatter any clouds of virus that might exist. That way, you're less likely to breathe in a big infectious dose.
When you can, move your get-together outside to a location where fresh air is all around you a backyard, for example. Lakdawala's neighborhood hosts happy hours, "where everybody brings a lawn chair and we sit on someone's lawn. Everyone is spatially distanced and brings their own drink."
Clean the air
Researchers recommend that you consider an air purifier if you periodically have guests over or if some members of your household work outside the home. "You wouldn't drink water downstream from another town without treating it. But we breathe air from other people without treating it," says Donald Milton, an infectious disease aerobiologist at the University of Maryland.
Effective air purifiers range from $100-$600, depending on technology, energy efficiency and the recommended room size, according to an analysis by Wirecutter.
And keep your distance
Much of this is common knowledge by now, but make sure you wear your mask correctly making sure that it fits snugly over your nose and mouth while not obstructing your ability to breathe and that you keep a personal space bubble of at least 6 feet between you and other people.
The mask will catch a lot of the droplets that come out when you speak or laugh or cough and also block some of other people's droplets from getting into your nose and mouth.
Greet your friend with a wave or an air hug from 6 feet away. That personal space bubble between you and others means there's more air passing between you to dilute any virus clouds that might be expelled.
Ultimately, health officials say, there is no such thing as zero risk. But by keeping the air around you moving you'll minimize your chances of inhaling a big, infectious whiff of virus.
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VIDEO: How To Protect Yourself From Coronavirus That Can Linger In The Air - NPR
This negative-stained transmission electron micrograph depicts the ultrastructural details of an influenza virus particle, or virion. Frederick Murphy/CDC hide caption
This negative-stained transmission electron micrograph depicts the ultrastructural details of an influenza virus particle, or virion.
With the annual flu season about to start, it's still unclear exactly how influenza virus will interact with the coronavirus if a person has both viruses.
Doctors around the world have seen some patients who tested positive for both influenza virus and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. At least a couple of dozen cases have been reported although that's not a lot, given that over 26 million people have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Still, "it is quite possible and likely that the two viruses could infect a patient at the same time or, for that matter, sequentially: one month, one virus, and the next month, the other virus," says Michael Matthay, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Both viruses can cause dangerous inflammation in the lungs that can fill the airspaces with fluid, making it difficult to breathe, he notes.
"It's likely with both viruses at the same time, the severity of respiratory failure would be greater," says Matthay. "Or, of course, having two illnesses in a row that affected the lungs would make the respiratory failure more severe."
COVID-19 is so new, though, that scientists just don't have enough research to know for sure.
Generally speaking, co-infections are common when it comes to respiratory diseases. Helen Chu, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle, has done studies to screen people with respiratory symptoms for a variety of viruses.
"We often find the presence of more than one virus at a time," says Chu, but that doesn't necessarily mean that there's actually more than one active infection. "You could be at the end of your illness, so you are no longer symptomatic from it, but you can still detect nonviable virus."
One study looked at people who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and found that about 20% tested positive for at least one other respiratory virus, such as rhinovirus which is a common cold virus or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can be serious in infants and older adults.
Past research suggests that viruses can have complicated interactions when two are present. An extra virus can do nothing at all, can make an illness more severe or possibly even have some kind of short-term protective effect.
For example, it's unclear if rhinovirus can make a bout with flu worse, says Chu.
"But for a lot of the other viruses that are known causes of disease like parainfluenza virus and human metapneumovirus and human coronavirus, those can work with flu and cause you to have more severe disease," says Chu.
Not everyone agrees on that. "There are many studies all over the map," says Sarah Meskill, assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
"The studies looking at previous coronavirus infection with influenza are so sparse it's really hard to know," adds Meskill, saying that her gut reaction is that "we're going to see co-infections, we are going to see patients positive for both" flu virus and the coronavirus.
Some epidemiological research shows that respiratory viruses can compete with each other in a way that means one virus can suppress the spread of another.
RSV and influenza virus are a good example of that, says Meskill, explaining that when both try to infect the same cell, one will win. What's more, when RSV levels in a population tend to be high, levels of flu tend to be low, and vice versa.
Tanya Miura, a virologist at the University of Idaho, says that when a new pandemic flu virus swept through in 2009, "it was delayed in certain populations that were having ongoing outbreaks of other respiratory viruses at the time."
Her work with lab animals shows that getting a mild respiratory virus can seem to offer some protection against getting a different, more severe one a couple of days later.
In the Southern Hemisphere, where the flu season is just coming to an end, doctors saw very little flu at all this year, probably mostly because of travel restrictions, the wearing of masks and social distancing.
And the number of circulating respiratory viruses does seem to be lower up north, too, says Chu, who has been searching for them in her city: "There's really no transmission of these other viruses going on in the community right now. That is what we are seeing in Seattle."
The flu isn't completely absent, though. "I can tell you that we're starting to find flu," says Chu. "It's very important to get vaccinated."
Getting vaccinated against seasonal flu would both protect people against a double whammy from the flu and COVID-19 and reduce the total number of flu cases. That would help a health care system that is struggling to cope with one serious respiratory illness already.
It's worth noting that the symptoms of the flu fever, muscle aches, cough can be very similar to those of COVID-19.
"Just because you test positive for the flu doesn't mean you don't have coronavirus," says Meskill. "You should still be doing your social distancing and quarantining."
And some researchers are getting ready to look at people who have mostly recovered from the flu and then get COVID-19. "Is it going to make it worse? Is it going to limit the virus or the transmission?" wonders Stacey Schultz-Cherry, an infectious diseases researcher at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. "We're actually starting those studies soon."
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Dual Infections: When Coronavirus And Flu Virus Compete : Shots - Health News - NPR
CHICAGO Mayor Lori Lightfoot said shed be shocked if a coronavirus vaccine is available before Election Day in November.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified public health officials in Chicago and other places to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The report alarmed officials throughout the country who worried the timing of the vaccine was being politicized to help President Donald Trump, who is trailing in the polls as the United States fumbles its COVID-19 response. Previously, experts said a vaccine likely wouldnt be safely approved and available until the end of the year or early 2021.
Lightfoot, speaking at an unrelated press conference Thursday, also expressed worries.
Im very concerned about the fact that the CDC is now talking about vaccines in connection with elections, Lightfoot said. That should not be happening. We should always be focused, particularly when it comes to response to COVID-19, on what the science tells us.
The Chicago Department of Public Health has been preparing for some time for a vaccination campaign, Lightfoot said.
The mayor and the citys health commissioner, Allison Arwady, have repeatedly spoken about how the city is making plans to vaccinate as many Chicagoans as possible.
RELATED: Citys New Chi COVID Coach App Lets You Sign Up For Vaccine Alerts, Testing Information And More
Arwady has said she expects the vaccine to be available starting late this year or in early 2021, with frontline workers like health care workers and people who are more at risk expected to get vaccinated first.
Women who are pregnant and young children likely wont be able to get the vaccine right away, as more research will be needed to determine if it safe for them.
Earlier this week, Arwady said she expects it will take a full year to get everyone vaccinated.
Lightfoot poo-poohed the idea a vaccination could be available by Nov. 3, Election Day.
I would be shocked if that happens before Election Day, Lightfoot said. Thats why Im deeply concerned about the CDC talking at all about anything other than what the science is, what the results are of the Phase 3 trials. Thats the language of the CDC; not elections.
Chicagoans interested in signing up for vaccination information can sign up online for information from the health department.
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Autumn really worries me
As fall approaches in much of the world, many people are anxious about what will happen when cold weather forces people indoors. Will the virus resurge with a vengeance, especially as people return to offices and schools reopen?
To get a preview of the fall, we spoke to Donald G. McNeil Jr., The Timess infectious disease expert, whose job has become envisioning the future of the coronavirus crisis.
Weve been warned about a fall wave for a long time, but then we had a bad summer wave. What most worries you about the fall?
I try to avoid wave metaphors because each outbreak is unique. New York City and Sturgis, S.D., both had bad ones, but months apart and for different reasons: New York in February because of tourists returning from Europe; Sturgis in August because of a motorcycle rally where masks were disdained.
But yes, autumn really worries me. Outbreaks are exploding at colleges all across the nation. There may initially be fewer deaths because students are young but professors arent.
And soon, chilly weather will drive people indoors, where studies suggest you are 20 times more likely to get infected. By midwinter, if we arent careful, the death toll could head back up toward its April apex.
How will celebrating the holidays be different this year?
No American wants to hear this, but experts say it probably wont be prudent to have big indoor family gatherings for Rosh Hashana, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Its sad, but I dont see a safe option especially for families with a child away at school. When college towns become epicenters, you really dont want students to come home and unwittingly infect their families. And students need to consider this: Yes, its miserable to miss a family holiday but could you forgive yourself if your grandmother died because of you?
What scientific developments are you following most closely?
Scientists I talk to are optimistic about monoclonal antibodies. One called them convalescent plasma on steroids. The best antibodies are cloned and grown in cell broths. Small doses might act like vaccines that protect for a few weeks. If they do, getting them to high-risk Americans medical workers, nursing home patients and the families of the infected could blunt the epidemic. But they cant be grown in bulk quickly or cheaply, and F.D.A. approval for prophylactic use is uncertain.
President Trump has pledged to have a vaccine before the end of the year. Is that realistic, and if so, would there be safety concerns?
Vaccine experts I talk to are very nervous right now.
Actually, many of them believe that by late December or January, we may have solid proof that one or even several vaccines are safe and effective. That would be very good news.
What they fear, however, is an October surprise, the possibility that, to boost his chances on Nov. 3, President Trump could pressure the Food and Drug Administration to grant a premature emergency use approval for a vaccine. (The F.D.A. did that for hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma based on data that many scientists felt was weak.)
There are three ways that might happen:
The most shocking would be if the F.D.A. just used the Phase 2 and monkey data that it already has. But thats what the Russians and the Chinese did, and it caused an outcry here. Americans might feel like guinea pigs, shun the vaccine and be angry at the administration for trying.
The second would be for the F.D.A. to pressure the trials data safety monitoring boards to divulge what they know. As a safety precaution, those independent boards look at partial data before the trial finishes to make sure no participants are being hurt. They normally keep anything else they learn secret. But if a vaccine looked even partly effective, the F.D.A. might approve based on that. However, experts think it is unlikely the boards will have enough data by early November. They also say that vaccine companies might actually fight an F.D.A. approval in court if they think its dangerously premature.
Updated September 1, 2020
The third possibility would be that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which started testing early in Brazil, gets approved in Europe by October, and the F.D.A. echoes the approval even though the Europeans set a lower standard of proof than the F.D.A. did for American manufacturers.
Thats what keeps me up at night, one expert told me.
Is there any hopeful news about the virus that we can lean on as the pandemic carries on?
Yes, absolutely. Im optimistic that there will be safe vaccines pouring out of factories by sometime next spring, and that this will all be over far faster than I expected just a few months ago.
Heres a roundup of restrictions in all 50 states.
Having some extra time, my fianc and I decided to volunteer at our local shelter as kitten snugglers. The idea is to hold feral kittens in your lap for a while to help them get familiar with human touch and help them get adopted quicker. It has been amazing to get regular snuggles and relieve my kitten fever without me bringing another cat home!
nne Allaje, Tartu, Estonia
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Also, a second person connected to the outbreak died of the virus in the past week, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Robert Long told CNN.
The wedding was less than a month ago, in Millinocket on August 7. Since then, the cases have spread to a nursing home and a prison, both more than 100 miles away from the venue.
Last week, Maine CDC said 60 cases were linked to the wedding, but this week it had updated that number to 56. Now, there are 144 cases of coronavirus tied to what was supposed to be a joyous event, more than doubling the cases.
The wedding outbreak investigation is still at 56 cases between the guests and their secondary and tertiary contacts. Secondary contacts are people who had close contact with someone who attended and tertiary contacts are people who had close contact with a secondary.
Covid cases at a jail and nursing home
The agency announced last week that there were outbreaks at Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center in Madison and at York County Jail in Alfred, both linked to the wedding event.
Now, 72 people connected to the York County Jail have tested positive for the virus, Long said. Of those, 46 are inmates, 19 work at the jail and seven are household members of those jail employees.
The jail is more than 220 miles away from where the reception was held. Maine CDC has been investigating the outbreak at the jail since August 21.
The outbreak at Maplecrest Rehabilitation and Living Center in Madison, which is more than 100 miles from the wedding venue, has also grown, according to Maine CDC.
An employee of the nursing home is a secondary case associated with the wedding outbreak. Sixteen people at Maplecrest have tested positive, including that person.
"That's what Covid-19 is like. You open up glitter in Millinocket and next thing you know you are finding traces of it at a jail complex in York County. It's just emblematic of how quickly, silently and efficiently it can spread."
Wedding venue cited
Shah said last week they are investigating other points of connection with the group including the ceremony that was held at Tri Town Baptist Church.
The Big Moose Inn said it misinterpreted the state's rules on social distancing in a statement sent to CNN on August 29.
"We understood that there could be no more than 50 persons in our largest room. We did make an error in the interpretation of that rule," the venue said in the statement. "Our interpretation was that we could take a wedding party of more than 50 persons, and split them between two rooms as long as it didn't exceed our total capacity or a specific room's capacity."
CNN's Lauren del Valle, Anna Sturla, Rebekah Riess, Laura Ly and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.
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Coronavirus cases tied to a Maine wedding reception more than double in a week - CNN
