Health officials in southern Illinois are looking for people who attended a “mini-prom” earlier this month and may been exposed to multiple confirmed cases of coronavirus.
The Wabash County Health Department asked the public in a Facebook post to get in touch if they were at the August 4 event and have been experiencing coronavirus symptoms including fever, loss of taste or smell, a cough, shortness of breath or a sore throat.
US leaders from coast to coast have throughout the past few months warned that young groups of people and social gatherings were driving an increase in coronavirus cases. Many of the nation’s top health officials have urged Americans to avoid not just bars but any crowded indoor spaces.
On Friday, Illinois reported the highest number of daily cases since May 24, with more than 2,260 new cases. The state has now reported more than 200,000 infections and more than 7,700 deaths.
The event took place in Mount Carmel, officials said, about 160 miles southeast of Springfield. It’s unclear how many people attended in total.
Wabash health officials told CNN affiliate WFIE at least five cases were linked to the event and 40 close contacts were identified.
“We’re just trying to alert the other kids that may have been there – that they may have been in contact with several positive cases and to watch for symptoms,” Wabash County Health Department Administrator Judy Wissel said, according to the news station.
The “mini-prom” was not a school-sanctioned event, the affiliate reported.
CNN’s Brad Parks and Kay Jones contributed to this report.
