#Seven COVID-19 deaths reported at nursing home after a wedding

Seven nursing home residents in Washington State recently died from COVID-19 after several staffers attended a massive 300-people wedding in November, health officials said.

The outbreak was reported on Nov. 20, and the residents — men in their 70s, 80s and 90s — all had underlying conditions, the Grant County Health District said in a statement.

The health district’s investigation found that several staffers attended a wedding in Ritzville on Nov. 7.

Because staff care for entire units, it is unknown how many patients they had direct contact with, the agency said.

The agency is looking into whether the nursing home deaths are linked to the wedding. It’s unclear how many staffers attended the function.

On Nov. 16, the Grant County Health District said 17 people who went to the wedding tested positive for coronavirus, and urged other attendees to get tested and quarantine.

At the time of the event, Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate of keeping weddings and funerals to 30 people was in effect.