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A recent wedding in Ohio attended by 83 people became the latest super-spreading event amid a nationwide COVID-19 outbreak after nearly half of them tested positive for the coronavirus, the newlywed couple said.
Among the 32 people who contracted the virus were the couple, Anthony and Mikayla Bishop, and three of their grandparents, two of whom went to the emergency room, the bishops said in an interview with NBC affiliate WLWT of Cincinnati.
“I didn’t think nearly half of our wedding guests were going to get sick,” Mikayla Bishop told the station. “You are in the moment. You’re having fun. You no longer think about COVID. “
The outbreak linked to the Oct. 31 event comes as states across the country see an increase in cases, overwhelmed hospitals and officials imposing new stay-at-home orders and restrictions on places such as domestic businesses and schools.
Ohio is one of twelve states where the number of new cases has increased in the past two weeks, from 221,000 on Nov. 2 to 305,000 on Monday, according to a count from Johns Hopkins University. Governor Mike DeWine said on Tuesday Ohio will now be subject to a curfew in an attempt to stop the surge in his condition.
In Cleveland, officials recorded so many new infections over the weekend that they couldn’t count them all in time for a briefing on Monday.
“The city of Cleveland is experiencing an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases, unlike anything that has yet been reported during this pandemic,” the city said in a statement.
Public health experts have warned against holding large weddings as the number of cases rises. Events in Washington state, New York and Minnesota led to epidemics, and after a ceremony in Maine, 176 people tested positive for the virus and seven died.
With the recent increase in cases, bishops told WLWT they had reduced their guest list from 200 to 85 and distributed hand sanitizer and masks. But aside from the couple’s grandparents, few appeared to be wearing masks, despite letting go during the reception and being close to each other on the dance floor.
Mikayla Bishop started showing symptoms during their honeymoon in North Carolina, she told the station. The couple then interrupted the celebration after receiving a call saying their grandparents were sick.
This story originally appeared on NBC News.
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