Grant County Health District says at least 160 COVID-19 cases linked to concert

The Grant County Health District announced Friday there were 160 COVID-19 cases in at least 11 counties linked to the three-day Watershed Music Festival July 30 to Aug. 1 in George.

Cases were identified in Grant, King, Kittitas, Pierce, Okanogan, Kitsap, Whatcom, San Juan, Stevens, Skagit and Lincoln counties, as well as one case in Oregon, the GCHD reported.

“As of today, we are aware of over 160 lab confirmed COVID-19 cases across Washington state in people who attended the event. We expect more cases to be confirmed in the coming days,” said Laina Mitchell, communicable disease coordinator for GCHD, in a release. “The outbreak is the first one traced to an outdoor entertainment event since the lifting of statewide COVID-19 prevention measures at the end of June.”

The GCHD is working with officials to identify other cases, and urging people to self-quarantine and seek testing if they attended the festival, according to the release.

COVID-19 is thought to spread between people who are in close contact with each other through respiratory droplets from the mouth or nose when someone infected coughs, sneezes, sings or speaks, the GCHD said. Droplets and particles can be breathed in or land on people’s eyes, nose or mouth.

On average, symptoms develop five or six days after exposure, but the incubation period can be up to 14 days. Some people never develop noticeable or debilitating symptoms.

The GCHD urged people to get vaccinated as it was “the most reliable method of suppressing and eventually controlling COVID-19.” Testing, masking and social distancing also were recommended.