160 Coronavirus Cases Linked to Watershed Music Festival

GEORGE, Wash. (AP) — More than 160 cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed among people who attended the Watershed Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre, the Grant County Health District said Friday.

Premature celebration

“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,” Laina Mitchell, with Grant County Health District, said in a news release.

More than 25,000 fans packed the Gorge for the three-day outdoor country music festival July 30 to Aug. 1, the Seattle Times reported. It marked the state’s biggest concert since the pandemic hit.

The cases are tied to residents in multiple Washington state counties and one Oregon resident.

More to come

Grant County health officials expect more cases to be confirmed in coming days. Investigators are working with those who have tested positive and with local public health officials to identify other cases. Public health officials urge that anyone who attended the festival self-quarantine and get tested.

Watershed festival organizers said they “worked to ensure all recommended guidelines from local officials were followed, and at this time less than 1% of attendees have tested positive."