#300 Texas teens exposed to coronavirus during ‘pong fest’

About 300 teens were exposed to the coronavirus during a recent “pong fest” in Texas, during which several of them were awaiting test results and some have since found to be infected, according to reports.

The high school students attended the party near Lakeway in Travis County on June 20 while a number of them had not yet received their COVID-19 tests, the Forth Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Several later found out that they tested positive, according to the paper.

Lakeway Mayor Sandy Cox predicted the mass gathering will lead to more cases in a state hit with record-breaking hospitalizations.

“Unfortunately, our caseload is probably going to increase, and it’s because there was a very large party this past Saturday,” Cox said in a Facebook video.

Everyone who attended the event has been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days. Additionally, anyone who has come into contact with those who went to the party must isolate themselves for two weeks.

Cox told CNN that it was still unclear whether the party led to a high number of cases in the area. The city has had 105 cases, 50 of which are currently active, she added.

Shelly Parks, a spokeswoman with Austin Homeland Security & Emergency Management, told CNN that officials learned about the exposure because health workers are “asking that participation in gatherings be mentioned for contact tracing purposes when people are getting tested.”