#Maine’s ‘Big Moose Inn’ admits bad head count at COVID superspreading wedding event

Enlarge Image

State health authorities are looking into a COVID-19 outbreak connected to a wedding reception that happened in early August at the inn
AP

Maine’s “Big Moose Inn” now knows it made a big, coronavirus-super spreading Moose-stake.

The campground and catering hall has admitted it screwed up its head-count when it allowed a restriction-violating mob to celebrate an Aug. 7 wedding — a reception now linked to at least 123 people contracting COVID-19.

One died from the disease.

In a statement obtained by the local Pressherald.com, the venue in the wooded town of Millinocket conceded that it had misinterpreted state guidelines limiting indoor events to 50 people.

The Big Moose Inn thought the limit meant only 50 people per individual room, the statement said.

So the venue allowed 65 people to attend, splitting them into two rooms.

When additional Big Moose Inn guests from that night were factored in, the venue held more than 100 people in the same building.

“The state – perhaps, rightfully so – assumes that individuals from a larger group would ignore the room restrictions, and take the opportunity to co-mingle,” the Big Moose statement conceded.

The night’s festivities are being blamed for subsequent outbreaks at a nearby county jail and a Madison nursing home, the Press Herald reported.