The woman, who wasn't named, is linked to a Coronavirus outbreak that the Maine Centers for Disease Control is currently investigating from a large social gathering held on August 7.
"I just want to remind everyone that as our investigation continues, we keep our focus on the care and well-being of those who are ill," Maine CDC Director, Dr. Nirav Shah said on Thursday. "That is, at the end of the day, what an epidemiological investigation is about. It involves helping people who are sick and helping prevent others from becoming sick."
Shah said they are investigating other points of connection with the group including the ceremony that was held at Tri Town Baptist Church.
"It is an official notice from the agency that they have not aided to one or more health-related regulations," Shah said. "When it was delivered the the owners they did agree to comply to all these issues they were cited for going forward."
He added that there isn't a financial penalty associated with the citation, but there could be if there is further evidence of noncompliance.
CNN reached out to Big Moose Inn for comment and did not receive a response.
Seven cases among children
Of the 32 cases, 26 are confirmed and six are probable cases, according to Maine CDC on Thursday. The median age of confirmed cases thus far is 42 years old, with a range of those who have tested positive spanning from 4 years old up to 78 years old. A total of seven cases are among children under the age of 18.
Of the cases that have been detected, 87% have been individuals who are symptomatic.
"At this phase of the outbreak investigation, that is not an atypical finding," Shah said.
Previously the agency announced that six cases were from individuals that didn't attend the event but who had close contact with reception attendees.
"What I think is really important about this situation is that it is another reminder that Covid-19 exists everywhere in Maine and it can spread really quickly when large groups of people gather," Shah said previously about this case.
The agency is conducting contact tracing for guests, staff and people who might have had close contact with individuals with confirmed cases. They encourage anyone who attended the event and has symptoms to contact their health care provider.
CNN's Laura Ly and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.
Usain Bolt, the Olympic great who won eight gold medals over the course of three Olympics, will quarantine while awaiting results from a coronavirus test he took on Saturday, the sprinter said in an Instagram post on Monday.
Just to be safe, Im going to be quarantining by myself, Bolt said, adding that he has had no symptoms of the virus.
Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who holds world records in the 100- and 200-meter dash, celebrated turning 34 on Friday at a surprise party. Attendees included his girlfriend, his newborn daughter and prominent soccer players Raheem Sterling and Leon Bailey, among others. Videos posted by music news outlet Urban Islandz showed attendees dancing near one another without wearing masks. It was not clear whether any other attendees had tested positive for the virus.
Bolt said he was responding to reports circulating on social media, stemming from a Nationwide News Network report in his home country that he had tested positive.
Bolts test coincided with a spike in Covid-19 cases in Jamaica as the island celebrated its independence the week of Aug. 6. Christopher Tufton, the countrys health minister, said at a news conference on Sunday that 1,529 people had tested positive for the coronavirus and 16 had died.
Universities in at least 19 states have reported outbreaks, some tied to large group gatherings.
Following what the dean of students and head of public safety called "incredibly reckless behavior," 23 Syracuse University students were suspended Thursday after gathering on the campus quad at night. The next day, citing "a rapidly escalating increase" in the percentage of people testing positive for the virus, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that testing would be implemented for three residence halls.
Meanwhile, at least 26 cases of coronavirus in three states are being linked to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which drew thousands of people to South Dakota earlier this month.
And an individual who tested positive for the virus after a Maine wedding reception has died according to a statement Saturday from Robert Peterson, CEO of Millinocket Regional Hospital. At least 32 positive cases were linked to the August 7 wedding, CNN has previously reported.
"We are sorry to share that this patient passed away early (Friday) afternoon. Our thoughts and sympathies are with her family as they cope with this difficult loss," Peterson said.
Masks could save 70,000 lives, Murray says
To prevent outbreaks from becoming even more widespread, Dr. Chris Murray said it's time for local governments to enforce more stringent mask rules.
"It will take a concerted effort but the impact is extraordinary, it's really quite extraordinary what it could achieve," Murray, chief of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Friday night. "It really depends on what our leaders do, (both) as individuals, and what governments do."
IHME projected that if nothing about the nation's approach to prevention changed, death rates would dip in September but rise later in the fall, and the total would reach about 310,000 by December 1.
But if significantly more people -- about 95% of the US population -- wore masks, the projection of total deaths from now to December would drop by almost 70,000, he said.
On the other hand, if governments ease current social distancing restrictions and mask mandates, the daily US death toll could reach 6,000 by December, up from his current prediction of 2,000 daily, Murray said.
More than 176,000 people have died of Covid-19 in the US since the pandemic began, and more than 5.6 million have been infected, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Coronavirus case rates have been dropping for weeks in parts of the US, but death rates have been relatively elevated.
Convalescent plasma for Covid-19 treatment
Convalescent plasma is created from the blood of people who have recovered from Covid-19, and it has shown some success in two other deadly coronaviruses: MERS and SARS. It has also been used to treat flu and Ebola.
President Donald Trump said during a briefing Sunday the emergency use authorization of convalescent plasma to treat Covid-19 patients will "save countless lives."
"Today's action will dramatically increase access to this treatment," Trump said.
"We dream in drug development of something like a 35% mortality reduction. This is a major advance in the treatment of patients," Azar said.
Emergency use authorization from the FDA does not require the same level of evidence as full FDA approval. At the end of March, the FDA created a pathway for scientists to try convalescent plasma with patients and study its impact.
Physicians have been using the treatment since. So far, more than 60,000 people in the United States have been treated with convalescent plasma.
Some states see positive changes
New York and New Jersey were early hotspots of the coronavirus pandemic but both reported encouraging signs this week.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Saturday afternoon that the state saw its lowest number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations since March 24.
"It's incredible what we've achieved by pulling together as one New Jersey family, but we're not over the finish line yet. Keep it up," he posted.
And New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office reported in a news release Saturday that the infection rate in the state stayed below 1% for 15 straight days, setting a new record low.
For the first time in two months, the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Mississippi dropped below 1,000, according to Gov. Tate Reeves.
Meanwhile, other states are reaching troubling milestones.
California's death toll is nearing 12,000, the California Department of Public Health said Saturday. With 95 deaths reported Saturday, Georgia broke 5,000 coronavirus deaths.
Concerns and questions around the new school year
The start of a new school year with in-person classes has brought trepidation to some Americans as more young people suffer infections.
In Florida, a 6-year-old girl became the youngest person in the state to die from coronavirus complications. Health officials say they still don't know if the child contracted the virus from a known case or if it was travel related.
Many schools across the country have implemented increased measures to protect students and staff against the virus, even though researchers are still learning how the virus spreads among young children.
For older students, universities have responded to rising numbers with more preventative measures.
On Sunday, Georgia Tech reported 33 new cases of Covid-19, including 17 members of a Greek organization. This brings the total number of coronavirus cases at George Tech to 251.
The University of Miami reported four students in its Hecht Residential College had tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on the university's Covid-19 website. Those students, and several others "who have shown symptoms," were immediately removed from their floors and are in isolation, officials said.
At Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, students began moving into campus dorms on a staggered schedule with designated hours to promote social distancing.
"I think it's everywhere. I don't think there's any hiding from it. I think just protecting yourself is the best thing you can do," Kari Thronson, the parent of a college freshman, said.
Many colleges have already reversed plans for in-person classes and returned to remote learning after coronavirus cases were detected on campus, leading to quarantines.
At East Carolina University, interim Chancellor Ron Mitchelson said in a letter Sunday that the university is moving to online classes due to a "rapid acceleration" of cases and "multiple clusters." The move comes two weeks after students returned to campus.
CNN's Melissa Alonso, Jennifer Henderson, Sheena Jones, Elizabeth Joseph and Ganesh Setty contributed to this report.
The campaign intends to make public if either Biden or Harris tests positive for the virus, per a campaign official, and staff who interact with them will be tested regularly as well.
"This announcement is another step demonstrating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' commitment to turn the page on Trump's catastrophic mismanagement during the worst public health crisis in 100 years," campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Bedingfield said there were "strict protocols" in place should Biden need to be tested.
"He has not had the virus," Bedingfield told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" when asked if he has been tested or contracted the virus. "We have put in place really strict protocols, as I think all of your journalists who attended our convention in Delaware this week saw. We've put in place incredibly strict protocols to ensure that everybody involved, who is around Vice President Biden, who is around Sen. Harris, is undergoing the appropriate testing. The vice president has not had the virus."
Asked if Biden has been tested, she said, "He has not, he has not been tested" and added, "However, we have put the strictest protocols in place and moving forward should he need to be tested, he certainly would be. But he has not been tested yet."
Last month, Biden told reporters he had not been tested for the virus and he told CNN's Jake Tapper in May that he had not been tested because he was not experiencing symptoms. He told Tapper he was following medical advice such as requiring people who enter his home to wear masks and gloves and that he was practicing social distancing.
Biden, 77, is among those considered high risk for the virus, according to guidelines by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The coronavirus can be spread by infected people who are asymptomatic and those who haven't developed symptoms yet.
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SAN MARCOS Omar Cruz, a 19-year-old sophomore, stocked up on bottles of disinfectant for himself and his roommate in anticipation of the first day back on campus at Texas State University. He wore two face masks as an extra precautionary measure to his in-person precalculus class.
But Cruz said hes not too worried about catching the new coronavirus from classmates on campus.
Of course with COVID, youd expect people to be nervous, but Im not super nervous, Cruz said.
At 9:45 a.m. Monday, Texas State University looked like a ghost town. The first day of school at the campus, which had more than 38,000 students last fall, is typically bustling with energy and activity, with first-time students walking shoulder to shoulder in search of their new classes and friends reuniting after being separated over the summer.
But Monday was the first day of in-person instruction at the San Marcos campus since the coronavirus pandemic raged across Texas, forcing school officials to reinvent the college experience in an attempt to keep students who would otherwise live, eat and learn together safe and socially distanced.
In interviews with The Texas Tribune, over two dozen students and teachers expressed a range of emotions about the first day back, including nervousness about the pandemic and excitement about the new school year. Some students were unfazed about the possibility of falling ill.
Others expressed doubt that the school would continue face-to-face classes for the duration of the semester.
I feel like all of the school reopening plans are based on models of idealized human behavior as opposed to real human behavior, said Nicole Taylor, associate professor of anthropology. Theyre predicated on the assumption that people will follow the rules.
But nationwide, as other schools have reopened for in-person classes, officials are seeing that college students are partying and gathering in large groups off campus. Already, the University of North Carolina and the University of Notre Dame, after attempting to meet in person, have gone fully virtual because of outbreaks among students.
In Texas, most major public and private universities, including the University of Texas at Austin, Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M university, are charging ahead with in-person returns, opting for a mix of in-person and remote classes, opening campus and dormitories to throngs of people.
By lunchtime at Texas State, campus was still quiet. In a student center, standing 6 feet apart, several students all of whom were wearing masks piled into a Starbucks. Others retreated to a nearby Chick-fil-A, which had markings on the floor to indicate how much distance people in line should keep between one another.
After his seminars wrapped up Monday, Grant Tran, a senior, said that it appeared only a few hundred students at any given time instead of the thousands hes used to were milling about school property.
Campus is 100% more empty, he said.
Approximately 42% of classes are being offered online and 58% are face to face, said Jayme Blaschke, a Texas State spokesperson. A majority of face-to-face classes will include an online or remote component in an effort to reduce classroom density. Enrollment data wont be available until later.
Texas State takes the health and safety of students, faculty and staff very seriously, and making the fall 2020 semester as safe as possible has been the primary concern at the university, Blaschke said.
But the coronavirus has disrupted nearly every facet of the campus experience. Students at Texas State are required to wear face masks, and some in-person instruction is divided up so half of a class section will meet one day a week and the other half will meet a different day. The recreation center, nestled in the northwestern part of campus, is open, but only by reservation.
Outside the LBJ Student Center, a university employee thanked those wearing masks; he offered everyone a sticker with the phrase, WEARING IS CARING. On the perimeter of the nearby Alkek Library, two staff members handed out refillable sanitizer bottles and stickers with the phrase, RESPECT & PROTECT. WEAR A MASK.
A notice taped to the inside of a bus that drove around campus read limited seating available accompanied with a photo of how much space patrons needed to leave between one another.
Outside of a science class, a sign read, Max Occupancy 30. 50% Occupancy 15.
I never imagined my first year of college would be over a computer, said Mia Velez, a first-year business marketing student. We never expected this, and wed rather be learning in person, but we have to adapt to everything. She went to a music class Monday morning donning a maroon and gold face mask.
At Texas State, almost half of the student population identifies as Hispanic or Black, groups that are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus nationwide and in Texas.
San Marcos in Hays County, where the school is located, has become a statewide hot spot; last week the county reported more than 2,500 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic started. One reason for the rapid spread, experts say, is that the city has a large working-class population that does not have the luxury of living in isolation. Theres also a high number of people without health insurance in addition to the citys bustling tourism industry. Over the summer, Hays County saw surging cases among people in their 20s, who accounted for more than half of all the cases in late June.
Still, theres been a hankering by the university for an in-person return, with the school previously scheduling on-campus summer classes set to begin as early as July 1. Nearly 2,000 students were slated to be in face-to-face courses, but as cases skyrocketed over the summer, the school abruptly changed gears and pushed summer school online.
Eric Schneider, the Hays County epidemiologist, said the start of school is bound to increase the risk of infection. But this time, he said he was more optimistic that the school could keep outbreaks manageable.
Its a concern. Face-to-face classes are a big risk, in my opinion, Schneider said. But as long as proper precautions are taken, with masks and social distancing, it should keep things down to a minimum.
But in some cases Monday, students had a hard time maintaining recommended distance from others.
Twenty minutes before the start of a physical chemistry course, 22 students sat outside a classroom, waiting for the door to open. All were masked, though distancing was tough in the dimly lit hallway.
Tran shook his head as he thought about physically going into classes to take tests or quizzes. He recounted seeing fellow students over the summer in San Marcos wandering around and looking for fraternity parties despite the pandemic.
I get that people in college want to live their best lives, but this is maybe not the best time to do that, he said.
Some faculty members and students said they expect classes to eventually be moved completely online.
I suspect we wont stay face to face very long, said an untenured biology lecturer at the university, who asked not to be named out of fear she could lose her job. There are already pictures circulating around of people having parties with no one wearing masks, and not everyone has moved to campus yet. It will only get more dangerous.
How many of our students, staff and faculty will have their lives forever altered by an extreme case, or may even die? she questioned.
Abbigail Solis, a sophomore, said she felt safe throughout most of the morning, but during a chemistry class, students were, at first, piled on top of each other as they struggled to find their assigned seats. They later spread out and were fine, Solis said.
Solis said she was being extra precautious Monday. Her two brothers ages 21 and 23 previously tested positive for the virus, so shes aware of the dangers that the contagion poses.
It makes me nervous, but Im going to try and stay safe, she said.
Another student preparing for his first day back also vented his frustration.
When you go completely online, thats the perfect time for your computer to act up, 19-year-old Gabriel Polman said behind a tie-dye face mask. Im glad were back in kindergarten and having seating charts.
But a return to attempted normalcy didnt faze all students.
Ian Remmele, a freshman from north of Dallas, wrapped up his university seminar via Zoom on Monday morning and sat by the main entrance to the student center wearing a thin, blue surgical mask. He hadnt met any of his classmates in-person, he said, but was already preparing for an introductory fine arts class he had later in the day.
Im not worried at all, Remmele, 23, said. I mean, its just the flu. Yeah, Im not worried about it.
Jessica Pliley, an associate professor of the history of women, genders and sexualities at the university, received permission to conduct her classes completely virtually. Although her first class wasnt until Tuesday, she worried about how overworked and underpaid fellow faculty members were while having to adjust to new technology thats been unfamiliar until now in a classroom setting.
The learning curve this summer has been profound for professors, she said. But patience, kindness and compassion will be my mantra even when Im cursing at the technology. Worst-case scenario? Everything crashes.
On Monday morning, Zoom experienced a worldwide outage, thwarting virtual learning plans for many educators, parents and students.
Pliley texted, This has been my most immediate fear; beyond the risk of COVID cases spiking.
Raga Justin contributed to this report.
Disclosure: Texas State University, Sam Houston State University, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
York County has at least four cases of COVID-19 among firefighters and EMS clinicians after the discovery of at least three cases involving the Sanford Fire Department, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday.
Among the cases associated with the Sanford Fire Department are individuals who worked with the Buxton and Saco fire departments, spurring the coronavirus testing of all Buxton Fire Department employees, families and others this weekend. Testing for all Saco Fire Department members and other individuals were being arranged on Monday, Maine CDC spokesperson Robert Long said.
Maine CDC classifies an outbreak as three or more linked cases. Union members at the Sanford station first announced the cases earlier Monday. The unions said at that time that the majority of Sanfords firefighters have been tested for the coronavirus, but 10 still had not received results 72 hours after testing.
Everyone here at the Sanford Fire Department has been united in working as fast as we can to mitigate the spread of this virus by ensuring that everyone infected has been quickly removed from service and quarantined in order to protect the health and safety of our department, our families and our community, said Eric Beecher, the president of the Sanford Fire Fighters Association.
Beecher said that firefighters are following coronavirus guidelines when responding to calls, including wearing protective equipment such as N95 masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection.
The coronavirus outbreak at the Sanford Fire Department underscores how critical it is to ensure that our first responders are given top priority in receiving direct access to COVID-19 testing and that they receive their results in a timely fashion, said Michael Crouse, the president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Maine.
As of Monday, there have been 750 total coronavirus cases reported in York County, where Sanford is located, according to the Maine CDC.
It isnt the first recorded outbreak among first responders in Maine. In June, four of Houltons six full-time paramedic and emergency medical technicians and a firefighter tested positive for the coronavirus. That same month, several members of Fort Fairfields fire department and one police officer were believed to have been exposed to the coronavirus, but they later tested negative.
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After six months of pandemic quarantine, some of Philadelphias younger residents are no longer content to spend their days isolating themselves from the rest of society.
Were hard-headed, said Monyah McQueen, a 24-year-old visiting friends in the city. We like to do what we want to do.
In multiple neighborhoods over the summer, young adults have been seen partying in groups that number in the hundreds and lack social distancing. They may have heard theyre more likely to survive than older folks if they catch the virus and many seem willing to take the risk.
Im ready to treat everything like its back to normal, Steven Garcia, 18, told Billy Penn and WHYY.
Mayor Jim Kenney and Health Commissioner Dr. Tom Farley have repeatedly cautioned young people against a false sense of security and warned against hanging out in close proximity. In mid-August, Philadelphians aged 20 to 34 made up roughly 30% of new coronavirus cases in the city, according to health department data, more than any other age group.
We are concerned about infections in that younger group, Farley said in July, because they could spread it to older people that theyre in contact with.
Even young adults who have personal experience with the coronavirus are feeling increasingly ready to abandon the precautions.
McQueen is a hospital employee. She herself contracted COVID-19 this spring. Still, at the beginning of August, she walked down South Street without a face mask. People shame me and my friends sometimes for going places, she said. But at the end of the day, were all fine.
It hasnt been easy for young folks. Milestones like graduating high school, attending prom and starting college in a dorm abruptly slipped through their fingers.
And plenty are still taking the pandemic seriously, including millennials raising their own families and gen-Zers desperate to keep their parents safe. Many young Black Philadelphians know the virus has disproportionately affected their communities. Some are immunocompromised themselves.
Its surprising to me, that theres this lack of empathy toward other peoples lives, said Rebeca Cruz-Esteves of Manayunk, 30. People are dying because of it. That should be enough to make you want to stop and think about who you could expose.
One Saturday in mid-August, Refia, 23, walked down South Street with two friends, chatting. One of them had a mask hanging down around their chin. She agreed to speak with reporters if her last name was not used.
At the start of the local lockdown in early spring, Refia said, she was so paranoid. But that changed as the months wore on, and isolation took its toll.
Staying inside one room for like four, five months maybe, its not really healthy, she offered.
The claim about going stir-crazy isnt without merit, but there are ways to get outdoors without endangering other people thats where masks and social distancing guidelines come in.
Lawncrest resident Garcia graduated high school in June. Since then, hes been fine staying at home, he said, getting social contact through multiplayer video games.
His grandparents and his parents all contracted COVID-19 during the past few months, and now appear to have recovered. Health experts are still unclear about the long term effects of the disease, but looking at his relatives, Garcia feels like its time to get back to real life.
Im ready to go to a movie theater thats packed, he said. Im ready to go to a mall. Everyone around us probably developed immunity.
The science on immunity from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, remains unclear.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced recently that folks whove had the disease can show immunity for up to three months but the longevity of the antibodies beyond that point is unknown. Some whove already contracted the virus managed to catch it a second time.
For much of July and August, Phillys 20- to 35-year-olds saw the biggest increase in new coronavirus cases, higher than any other age group in the city.
Jessica Stern, whos 31 and lives in South Philadelphia, took isolation seriously during the first few months. As its gotten warmer, shes started to cautiously expand her bubble. Shell meet friends in the park, sitting without masks on blankets at least 6 feet apart.
I tend to see the same people who are also taking the same sort of precautions that my partner and I are taking, Stern said.
Her friend Tara Taylor has done some outdoor dining and hit up a few breweries. It was very distanced, she said. It was nice to have a little slice of normalcy and chat with a stranger.
Others say they feel they need to watch out specifically because of their heritage. In the U.S., both Black and Latino people have tested positive at disproportionately higher rates compared to their shares of the countrys total population.
Nikela Roderique, 23, is comfortable leaving the house now so long as shes following guidelines set by the government and local businesses. But as a Black woman, she still feels she has to take the virus seriously.
Its disproportionately harmful to the Black community at the end of the day, so we have to take precaution, Roderique said. We dont have a choice. Its not that were out here doing whatever. Thats not the case.
Some young adults are taking the danger super seriously.
Eighteen-year-old Lamar Reed is starting his first semester at CCP. He lives with his mother and his aunt, whos in her 70s and he recognizes the possibility that he could get them sick. The past few months, he said the only other person hes been physically close to is his girlfriend. He turned down an invitation to an Airbnb birthday party that promised 10 to 15 guests.
I was a little bummed I couldnt go, Reed said. But at the same time, I didnt want to go. Ive been listening to what my moms been telling me. She wants me to stay home, and I want to stay home for her sake.
Rebeca Cruz-Esteves, the 30-year-old from Manayunk, has already dealt with a family member taken by the coronavirus. She watched her fathers otherwise healthy cousin die within two weeks of being diagnosed.
Its really sad, she said. I dont think people realize you really can take someones life from this.
Cruz-Esteves is six months pregnant with her first child, and was recently diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.
Shes currently planning a virtual baby shower to avoid exposing any of her loved ones. Shes told her father he likely cant be in the delivery room for the birth shes due in December, and she anticipates there might be a winter coronavirus spike.
The many invitations to cookouts and birthday parties she received have all been politely declined.
Ive lost friends during this time, Cruz-Esteves said. Ive had pressure from friends that dont really realize they are putting themselves at risk. Ive seen that on social media, and I cant afford to do that.
Leipzig, Germany (CNN) Ever since the coronavirus pandemic shuttered clubs, bars and concert halls around the world, music fans have been dreaming of the day they can once again visit a busy, sweaty venue to enjoy a gig with friends.
With infection rates rising in many European countries, this dream could be far off for now. But some music fans in Leipzig, Germany, have been given the chance to rock for a day in the name of science -- with the help of some glowing hand sanitizer and electronic trackers.
Researchers in the German city of Leipzig staged a 1,500-person experimental indoor concert on Saturday to better understand how Covid-19 spreads at big, busy events, and how to prevent it.
At the gig, which featured a live performance from musician Tim Bendzko, fans were given respiratory face masks, fluorescent hand gel and electronic "contact trackers" -- small transmitters that determine the contact rates and contact distances of the individual experiment participants.
Participants wearing FFP2 protective face masks took part in the Covid transmission risk assessment study in a concert setting in Leipzig, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Using data from the contact trackers, scientists from The University of Halle will monitor the number "critical contacts" had by each participant during specific times and locations, while the residue left by fluorescent hand gel will identify frequently touched surfaces. Researchers hope to use the data to find ways to bring big events, including sports, back safely.
Professor Michael Gekle, the dean of the university's medical faculty and a professor of physiology, told CNN the experiment was being conducted to better prepare authorities on how to conduct events in the upcoming autumn and winter seasons.
Participants wore FFP2 protective face masks during the performance.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
"We cannot afford another lockdown," he said. "We have to gather the data now in order to be able to make valid predictions," he said.
"There is no zero risk if you want to have life. We want to give the politicians a tool in order to decide rationally whether to allow such an event or not. That means they have to have the tool to predict how many additional infected people such an event will produce," he said.
Researchers directed volunteers to run three scenarios -- one that simulated a concert pre-coronavirus, a second simulating a concert during the pandemic, with improved hygiene measures in place, and a third, with reduced participants. Scientists will gather the data, apply a mathematical model, and evaluate the hygiene interventions, with conclusions ready by the end of the year.
Singer Tim Bendzko performed for volunteers during the study.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Researchers believe this is the first time an experiment of this scale has taken place in Europe, but say that different considerations would have to be applied depending on the type of event, the behavior of concert goers and whether patrons were allowed to consume alcohol.
"Of course, a concert with Rammstein would be different," he said.
Gekle told CNN that due to a low prevalence of the virus in the states of Saxony and Lower Saxony, participating in the study was low risk for volunteers, who underwent coronavirus testing 48 hours before participation, and were wearing masks during the show. "It's safer than flying to Majorca," he said.
The number of coronavirus infections in Germany has been climbing again since the end of July. On Saturday, the country saw its highest number of daily infections since April 26, with 2,034 new cases of Covid-19, according to Robert Koch institute, the country's center for disease and control.
The experiment may have been controlled, but for some in the crowd -- despite the lack of alcohol -- it felt like a return to normality.
Participants took a coronavirus test before being allowed to enter the study, and were temperature checked on arrival.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
"This was our first real applause from the audience in months," Bendzko told CNN. "The atmosphere is surprisingly good -- it almost felt like a real concert.
"I wish that it will be possible to play at big concerts again someday soon," he said. "But we all understand that we now have to live with the virus and we have to take a certain risk."
Elli Blesz, 20, from Leipzig told CNN: "The atmosphere was really great, we all enjoyed the music -- it was nice to listen to live music after six months."
And Kira Stuetz, a 26-year-old student who attended the concert with her husband, said: "It was a little crazy." Recalling one of the pre-coronavirus simulations, where audience members sat together, she said that "at first it almost felt wrong all people came so close together. We thought this 'is a dream' because it's not allowed to be sitting together so close! But then it was really cool. I could not believe it that we were at a real concert again!"
Organizers around the world have been dipping their toes into the water to see when and how live events can be brought back in a world still suffering from the coronavirus pandemic -- in the UK, event organizers trialled concerts at an outdoor, purpose-made socially distant concert venue, where patrons sat in small groups on distant, raised platforms.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the number of people who participated in the experimental indoor concert. It was 1,500.
Nadine Schmidt reported from Leipzig, Germany. Amy Woodyatt wrote from London.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri is feeling better a week after being diagnosed with coronavirus, he said Monday.
The sheriff said he got tested Friday at a community health center and received a negative result on Saturday, a week after his agency announced that he had come down with the virus.
He dealt with some fatigue and headaches, but it was overall a mild case, he said. He still cant taste or smell I cant even smell bleach, he said.
I have a lot of sympathy for those who have moderate and severe cases, Gualtieri said. Its terrible. Im a very lucky one to only experience the minor symptoms I did.
The sheriff added that his wife, Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Lauralee G. Westine, and their teenage daughter also tested negative.
Gualtieri worked from home following his positive result. No other Sheriffs Office employees had to take further action, a spokeswoman said at the time, because personnel had practiced appropriate social distancing in all meetings, and people are either more than six feet apart and/or wearing masks or the meetings are accomplished electronically.
The sheriff said Monday that he will ease back into in-person work. He urged caution as the virus continues to spread in Florida.
Its a nasty illness, he said. You cant figure this thing out. Thats why its so dangerous. You cant figure out how people are going to react to it.
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The NFL has cleared all individuals who tested positive over the weekend for the coronavirus, after what its testing partner called an "isolated contamination during test preparation." All of the original test results have been classified as false positives.
Eleven teams were affected by the mistake, with sources telling ESPN that 77 individuals had positive tests, leading to some anxious moments and altered Sunday practice schedules -- but ultimately no evidence of an outbreak. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was among those whose initial test resulted in a false positive, forcing him to miss the team's Sunday practice, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
According to the sources, the NFL retested the original 77 samples, all of which had been processed at the same BioReference lab in New Jersey. All of the retests came back negative. The league also conducted quicker, point-of-care tests Sunday, and all of those tests also were negative.
According to training camp protocol agreed upon by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the 77 individuals -- players, coaches and some staff members -- can resume their normal activities Monday.
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BioReference, which the NFL hired to conduct all of its COVID-19 testing, uses five labs around the country to process the league's daily tests. The New Jersey lab was the only one to produce false positives over the weekend.
In a statement Monday morning, BioReference said: "On August 22, BioReference Laboratories reported an elevated number of positive COVID-19 PCR test results for NFL players and personnel at multiple clubs. The NFL immediately took necessary actions to ensure the safety of the players and personnel. Our investigation indicated that these were most likely false positive results, caused by an isolated contamination during test preparation in the New Jersey laboratory. Reagents, analyzers and staff were all ruled out as possible causes and subsequent testing has indicated that the issue has been resolved. All individuals impacted have been confirmed negative and informed."
In an email sent Sunday night to its members, the NFLPA said it has "initiated an investigation into both the testing process at the lab site in question and whether or not all of our protocols were followed."
Three of the hardest-hit teams over the weekend were the Minnesota Vikings, who had 12 individuals produce false positive tests, the New York Jets (10) and the Chicago Bears (nine). Those numbers created immediate alarms after the NFL had produced a low infection rate during the first month of training camp. As of Monday morning, only three players remained on the COVID-19 list.
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he was among the false positives. A dozen of his players were cleared just ahead of Monday's practice. Stefanski wasn't able to lead Sunday's practice and stayed away from the team's practice facility as he waited to be cleared. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods led the practice instead.
"It's something I take seriously," said Stefanski, who initially found out about the false positive test early Sunday morning, "and our whole goal is to keep everybody safe."
The episode is likely to influence discussions between the NFL and NFLPA, who are working to finalize regular-season testing protocols. The sides must decide whether to continue daily testing, which expires Sept. 5, and create a policy for weeding out false positives when determining eligibility for games.
During training camp, all positive test results are followed by two additional tests over a 24-hour period. If both of those tests come back negative, the original test is classified as a false positive.
Information from ESPN's Jake Trotter was used in this report.
