The Maine inn at the center of an outbreak of COVID-19 has had its business license reinstated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Officials said the Big Moose Inn exceeded the indoor gathering limit of 50 people for a wedding reception on Aug. 7. The inn was initially cited, and its license was then suspended Wednesday after a follow-up visit where further violations of public health guidelines were discovered, officials said.The license suspension said the follow-up visit showed that dining room tables were not spaced to be 6 feet apart, employees were not wearing face coverings and there was no social distancing.State officials said they worked with the inn to bring them into compliance with regulations.A health inspection report issued on Aug. 19 and released on Friday offered more details on the wedding event.According to the report, the state’s Health Inspection Program was notified on Aug. 17 that 24 out of 65 people who attended the wedding reception had tested positive for coronavirus.Inspectors visited the inn and learned that temperatures of all the wedding guests were taken before entering the facility and all temperatures were normal.Staff were wearing masks for the event, but guests did not wear masks and it was not enforced by staff. There were signs requesting guests to wear face coverings.Social distancing was not maintained by guests on an upper deck. The report found people at the bar socially distanced and tables were spaced 6 feet apart.The report found tables on an enclosed porch, an event room and an open upper deck were not spaced 6 feet apart.The report also found that the number of wedding guests, along with other people at the inn totaled 104 to 109 people, which exceeded the 80-person seating limit on the business’ license.Contact tracing information was not taken for the wedding reception because the bride had a guest list.The report said certificates of compliance and negative COVID-19 tests from visitors from states subject to Maine’s quarantine or testing requirements were available.The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that the total number of cases linked to the outbreak increased to 87.Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said 30 of the 87 cases involve people who attended the wedding, 35 secondary cases, which are people who had close contact with a primary case, and 22 tertiary cases, which are people who had close contact with a secondary case.Shah said nine cases at Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center in Madison are linked to the Millinocket outbreak. He said 18 cases at the York County Jail are also linked to the Millinocket outbreak.Shah said 59 of the 87 people are experiencing symptoms of the virus. He said nearly all of the people who have tested positive are from Maine. One person has died.Shah said the investigation into the outbreak continues.Because of the outbreak, East Millinocket schools are delaying the state of the school year by two weeks.Officials said two students and six school department employees, including the superintendent, have tested positive for the virus.Officials said a school staff member was hired as a musician at the wedding reception at the Big Moose Inn. Other staff also attended the wedding.All of the people who tested positive for the virus are now quarantining.
MILLINOCKET, Maine —
The Maine inn at the center of an outbreak of COVID-19 has had its business license reinstated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Officials said the Big Moose Inn exceeded the indoor gathering limit of 50 people for a wedding reception on Aug. 7.
The inn was initially cited, and its license was then suspended Wednesday after a follow-up visit where further violations of public health guidelines were discovered, officials said.
The license suspension said the follow-up visit showed that dining room tables were not spaced to be 6 feet apart, employees were not wearing face coverings and there was no social distancing.
State officials said they worked with the inn to bring them into compliance with regulations.
A health inspection report issued on Aug. 19 and released on Friday offered more details on the wedding event.
According to the report, the state’s Health Inspection Program was notified on Aug. 17 that 24 out of 65 people who attended the wedding reception had tested positive for coronavirus.
Inspectors visited the inn and learned that temperatures of all the wedding guests were taken before entering the facility and all temperatures were normal.
Staff were wearing masks for the event, but guests did not wear masks and it was not enforced by staff. There were signs requesting guests to wear face coverings.
Social distancing was not maintained by guests on an upper deck. The report found people at the bar socially distanced and tables were spaced 6 feet apart.
The report found tables on an enclosed porch, an event room and an open upper deck were not spaced 6 feet apart.
The report also found that the number of wedding guests, along with other people at the inn totaled 104 to 109 people, which exceeded the 80-person seating limit on the business’ license.
Contact tracing information was not taken for the wedding reception because the bride had a guest list.
The report said certificates of compliance and negative COVID-19 tests from visitors from states subject to Maine’s quarantine or testing requirements were available.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that the total number of cases linked to the outbreak increased to 87.
Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said 30 of the 87 cases involve people who attended the wedding, 35 secondary cases, which are people who had close contact with a primary case, and 22 tertiary cases, which are people who had close contact with a secondary case.
Shah said nine cases at Maplecrest Rehabilitation Center in Madison are linked to the Millinocket outbreak. He said 18 cases at the York County Jail are also linked to the Millinocket outbreak.
Shah said 59 of the 87 people are experiencing symptoms of the virus. He said nearly all of the people who have tested positive are from Maine. One person has died.
Shah said the investigation into the outbreak continues.
Because of the outbreak, East Millinocket schools are delaying the state of the school year by two weeks.
Officials said two students and six school department employees, including the superintendent, have tested positive for the virus.
Officials said a school staff member was hired as a musician at the wedding reception at the Big Moose Inn. Other staff also attended the wedding.
All of the people who tested positive for the virus are now quarantining.
