SOMERVILLE, Mass. — As 25 Investigates first reported Wednesday, two people who attended the B-LIST, an event for wedding and party vendors in Somerville, have tested positive for COVID-19.
Thursday, Boston 25 News asked the state whether everyone who was at that party should be made a priority for coronavirus testing.
That is a question we also brought to the Somerville mayor.
"Testing needs to be the forefront, and our federal government has botched this," Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone said. "I know the Commonwealth and the Governor and Lt Govenor have this as a focus and a priority. We need to work together and make sure that happens."
The annual party, billed as "the party for party makers," took place at the Row Hotel in Somerville on Wednesday, March 4.
One week after the event, the organizer - Whim Events - notified some 300 attendees via email that two had tested positive.
The organizer told 25 Investigates the two COVID-19 positive people contacted her.
That's when she contacted the Centers for Disease Control and the Mass. Depatment of Public Health.
Now attendees are asking why the state is not testing everyone who was at this event.
They are curious if this could become like what unfolded after the Biogen conference in Boston, after which more than 80 people connected to that meeting have tested positive for COVID-19.
“So it’s already been over a week that we didn’t know about the situation and I’m continuing to not hear anything in regard to follow up from that email,” an attendee who didn’t want to be publicly identified told Boston 25 Investigates in a phone call. “Based on the previous event -- Biogen -- I guess I was expecting maybe a little follow up just from somebody higher up in the health world.”
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