New York party host who KNEW they had coronavirus symptoms hosted bash with more than 100 guests causing cluster of nine cases - and officials have threatened attendees with $2,000 fines if they refuse to work with contact tracers

A troubling cluster of COVID-19 cases has been linked to a New York party host who knew they had coronavirus symptoms and threw a bash anyway, but attendees are refusing to work with health officials to contain outbreak. 

Health officials in Rockland County, New York are investigating a cluster of nine or more coronavirus cases that are linked to a large party thrown earlier this month.

The blowout on June 17 in West Nyack led the host and eight partygoers to test positive for the contagious respiratory virus. 

A crowd of up to 100 people, most in their earlier 20s, turned up to the house party, which violated a state order banning gatherings of over 10 people, according to the New York Times. 

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A party host in Rockland County, New York threw a bash with over 100 guests despite knowing they had coronavirus symptoms on June 17, leading to a cluster of nine cases. The county has over 13,600 confirmed virus cases and 668 deaths from COVID-19

It was the first of three large parties in Rockland County in the past two weeks. The other two parties where guests are believed to have overlapped were thrown on June 20 and June 27, both in New City.

Officials say multiple people who attended one or more of the parties are refusing to cooperate with contact tracers, a strategy that is crucial to mitigating the spread of COVID-19, leading local officials to issue subpoenas.

'My staff has been told that a person does not have to or wish to speak to my disease investigators. They hang up. They deny being at the party even though we have found their name from another attendee,' Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert said in a press conference Wednesday.

Officials announced subpoenas will be issued to eight non-compliant party goers believed to have attended the June 17 party on Wednesday. Those who do not comply by Thursday face fines of $2,000 a day, officials said.

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'We are deadly serious. I will not allow the health of our county compromised because of ignorance, stupidity or obstinance,' Rockland County Executive Ed Day said.

Issuing subpoenas to help curb to the outbreak is a tactic used during the measles outbreak in Rockland County years ago to force people to work with contact tracers.

The cluster of cases may be linked to an infected student from Florida who attended a Horace Greeley High School drive-in graduation ceremony on June 20 in Chappaqua, according to NBC. 

Health officials are now asking anyone who attended that graduation ceremony to self-quarantine until July 5 and work with contact tracers who may call.

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New York has been the hardest-hit state in the COVID-19 pandemic with nearly 400,000 confirmed cases and nearly 25,000 fatalities. Governor Andrew Cuomo at his daily coronavirus press briefing on Wednesday

Ruppert says she has intel that more festivities may be planned for July Fourth.

On Wednesday Rockland County reported 1.2 percent daily positive tests, the highest percentage of all seven counties in New York’s Mid-Hudson region.

The county has 13,602 confirmed virus cases and 668 deaths from COVID-19 as of Thursday midnight.

On Wednesday five people in the county were hospitalized with confirmed cases of the virus and five others were suspected of having the virus. 

New York has been the hardest-hit state in the COVID-19 pandemic with nearly 400,000 confirmed cases and nearly 25,000 fatalities. 

In New York City 3,000 disease detectives and case monitors were hired by last month in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.