Nearly two dozen COVID-19 cases tied to North Carolina event

CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) — Health officials in a North Carolina county say they are investigating 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 connected to an event at a church.

The Charlotte Observer reports Mecklenburg County urged all people who attended convocation events at the United House of Prayer for All People on Oct. 10 and 11 to get tested.

At the time, the county linked at least nine cases of COVID-19 to the weekend event.

Mecklenburg County Deputy Health Director Raynard Washington says the number has nearly tripled.

Washington says the church made an effort to ensure masks were worn and that those attending practiced social distancing, but he said people didn’t always comply.