Seven COVID-19 cases linked to 300-person wedding

COLUMBIA BASIN — As of Tuesday, seven cases of the coronavirus in Adams County were linked to the Nov. 7 Ritzville-area wedding reported to have had around 300 attendees, according to health officials.

The wedding, initially reported by the Grant County Health District on Nov. 17, was allegedly held in a potato shed in rural Adams County, away from the town of Ritzville but which still has a Ritzville mailing address.

Since then, Grant County health officials have reported at least three outbreaks in Grant County associated with the wedding, including at an unnamed school district, an unnamed long-term care facility in Moses Lake and another in Ephrata.

Adams County Health Department Administrator Karen Potts said Tuesday that she believes that the current tally of cases connected with the event is likely an undercut. A number of wedding attendees opted not to be tested and health department officials have not been given access to a guest list to perform a more thorough investigation, Potts said.

Potts said she was unaware of any large outbreaks in Adams County that could be linked to the wedding.

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.