Long Island country club fined $17,000 for wedding where 30 people got COVID-19
The wedding at North Fork Country Club led to 30 people contracting COVID-19
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A country club on Long Island is being fined tens of thousands of dollars after it hosted a wedding earlier this month.
North Fork Country Club in Cutchogue, New York, reportedly hosted a wedding with 91 people in attendance on Saturday, Oct. 17, Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone said in a press conference on Wednesday.
Since then, 30 people have tested positive for the coronavirus and 159 people have had to quarantine because they had contact with someone in attendance at the wedding, according to Bellone.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WEDDING GUESTS WARNED OF CORONAVIRUS EXPOSURE FOLLOWING NEW YORK EVENT: OFFICIALS
Of the 30 people who tested positive for the virus, 27 people were guests of the wedding, two were employees of the venue and one person was an outside vendor, The New York Times reported.
Bellone said that North Fork Country Club will be fined the maximum fine of $15,000 for violating Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive order limiting the number of people who can attend non-essential gatherings.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The country club will also be fined $2,000 for violating the Suffolk County Sanitary Code.
“Because of this wedding, this country club faces potential fines of $17,000,” Bellone said.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bellone also announced that another $2,500 fine was being issued to a homeowner after Suffolk County Police were called to break up a house party over the weekend that had between 200 and 300 people -- mostly minors -- in attendance.
“This is the first resident to be issued a fine in Suffolk County for violating the governor’s executive order,” Bellone said on Wednesday.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“This type of blatant disregard for the wellbeing of others is not only extremely disappointing, it will not be tolerated,” Bellone said. “If you violate the rules, you’ll be caught and held responsible.”
The wedding at North Fork Country Club had 91 people in attendance. (iStock)
Thus far, there have been no coronavirus cases linked to the event, but the homeowner, in Farmingville, New York, was also ticketed for underage drinking.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bellone said that even when people follow the rules, there is still a risk of spreading COVID-19.
A birthday party, which also happened on Saturday, Oct. 17, in Bellport, New York, had only 50 people in attendance.
However, half of those in attendance -- 26 people -- have since tested positive for the coronavirus and 132 people are now quarantining because of the birthday party.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“So between this wedding and this birthday party, there are 56 positive COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 people under quarantine,” Bellone said about the Saturday, Oct. 17 events. “These kind of superspreader events are a threat to our public health and to our continued economic recovery.”
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Earlier this month, Suffolk County also fined another venue, Miller Place Inn, for hosting a Sweet 16 party in September, which caused at least 35 people to test positive for the coronavirus, Bellone said.
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