It was a big party to celebrate the 16 years of a young woman in an affluent neighborhood of Long Island, in New York, but it ended badly, with 37 people infected, at a time when outbreaks of the virus in the state increase and authorities fear a second wave.
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The party of Sweet 16 was held on September 25 at the Miller Place Inn on Long Island, which was fined $ 12,000 for allowing 81 people in, more than the maximum of 50 authorized.
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“We’ve never had a super-spreading event like this in Suffolk County,” tweeted the area’s top executive, Steve Bellone. “People must act responsibly or the economy will suffer.”
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Of the 81 guests, 29 tested positive for the covid-19 disease. Eight other people close to the guests were also infected, County officials said in a statement.
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The local government identified 334 contacts and quarantined 270 people. Eight schools reported positive cases linked to the party.
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“They had a ‘Sweet 16’ party. How sweet. Well, it wasn’t that sweet. Dozens of people at the Sweet 16 party got sick. This shows how a single event can generate so many cases.”Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters.
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New York state was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring, with 33,000 deaths.
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He later managed to control the virus, but in recent days the rate of positive tests has increased in many towns in New York City and in other nearby counties, especially in neighborhoods with a strong Orthodox Jewish population.
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To prevent a second wave, Cuomo closed non-essential businesses in these neighborhoods and limited the capacity in churches and synagogues to 10 people.
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