Ritzville wedding spreads disease in Grant County

Public health authorities are asking anyone from multiple communities who attended a large wedding near Ritzville Nov. 7 to get tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine through Nov. 21.

Grant County Health District said it knows of nearly 40 cases in their county resulting from the Adams County event with more than 300 attendees. More cases are being added daily.

Weddings are supposed to be restricted to no more than 30 attending.

“Due to the multi-jurisdictional impact of this large event, GCHD felt it was necessary to notify the public,” GCHD said in a press release.

Attendees diagnosed with COVID-19 have also been linked to two subsequent outbreaks.

“While GCHD is dealing with the magnitude of this event, we would like to thank the wedding participants for their continued cooperation,” stated District Administrator Theresa Adkinson. “By answering the phones and being truthful with your responses, together with your help, we will try and slow the spread and impact from this event.”

Adkinson said the wedding in rural Ritzville was put on by Grant County residents. She said Tuesday night that GCHD would not reveal the names of those in the wedding party and that other counties had been contacted. The health district is also working with a school district and a long-term care facility “because of a direct link to wedding attendance or secondary cases resulting from contact with wedding participants.”

With new statewide restrictions announced Sunday by the governor, “indoor receptions or similar gatherings in conjunction with the ceremony are prohibited,” GCHD noted. “Wedding organizers are strongly encouraged to keep a log of attendees at each service and to retain that log for at least two weeks. If an outbreak occurs, this information may be critical to help save lives.”

GCHD says “personal decisions affect the health of family, friends, and communities and it is now more critical than before to use all known COVID-19 precautions.”