The fallout from a church service held in October continues as more coronavirus cases can be tied back to the weeklong event. Mecklenburg County officials confirm that 187 COVID-19 cases, as well as eight deaths and 11 hospitalizations, are the result of an outbreak at the United House of Prayer For All People. However, there seems to be some hope.
"We're seeing a real reduction in the number of (new) cases," said Gibbie Harris, Public Health Director for Mecklenburg County. "There are very few at this point. Most of those are secondary cases — so people who attended then exposed someone else."
The secondary cases include a cluster of cases at Madison Saints Paradise Senior Living where three workers and 16 residents have tested positive and two residents have died, WCNC reports.
More than 1,000 people were reported to have attended the church services October 4-11. Last week, Gov. Roy Cooper brought up concerns of North Carolinians gathering in large crowds, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said can increase the risk of spreading the virus. The church was previously ordered to close for a couple weeks, but health officials said it could stay open as long as it followed capacity guidelines.
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