The CDC said the masks and distance were not consistently maintained.
An indoor opening ceremony at a pub in rural Illinois in February resulted in 46 COVID-19 infections, one school closure and a hospitalization of a resident of a long-term care facility, according to a report released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency looked at the incident in the unidentified company, which had a maximum capacity of 100 people. Illinois began reopening customer service bars and restaurants in late January, with strict capacity constraints and other health protocols.
Although the CDC report states that the agency does not count how many people attended the opening of the bar, which took place on February 3, four people had COVID-19 symptoms the same day they attended.
According to the report, the bar had no airflow from outside, and consistent use of mask and social distance is not maintained.
Two weeks after the reopening, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported an outbreak associated with serious consequences for others.
According to the report, 26 patrons and three staff members who attended the opening event contracted COVID-19. According to the CDC, there were 17 secondary cases linked to the counter, including a dozen cases in eight households with children.
According to the report, none of the cases led to hospitalizations.
According to the report, there were two secondary cases of individuals in a school sports team, and three cases were in a long-term care facility (LTCF).
“Dispatch related to the opening event led to one closure of the school which affected 650 children (9,100 lost personal days of the school) and had hospitalization of one resident of LTCF with COVID-19,” the report reads.
CDC researchers warned that the “number of cases described in this report is likely to be lower than the actual number of bartenders and secondary cases associated with the event.”
The agency stressed that businesses must comply with masking mandates, phased-in expansions on capacity and proper ventilation as they reopen in the coming months.