Idaho country club’s COVID-19 outbreak has grown. It now includes 22 people
CORRECTION: A golf tournament June 18-20 that Central District Health linked to additional cases of COVID-19 had been canceled, according to SpurWing management. CDH says its information about a tournament occurring on those dates came from investigations and conversations with people who tested positive and “indicated playing in a tournament.”
A COVID-19 outbreak tied to a Meridian country club has grown. At least 22 people have tested positive, with cases tied to a golf tournament last month at The Club at SpurWing.
About a dozen cases had been linked to the club’s Wing Ding tournament June 24-27.
But now, Central District Health says it has discovered additional cases.
SpurWing’s head golf pro, Todd Bindner, previously told the Statesman that the cluster tied to the Wing Ding tournament was surprising, because the club took a number of precautions.
He claimed there were no indoor events, that food was served in to-go box lunches, and that the club encouraged participants to mask up and follow 6-foot social distancing guidelines.
“We never had any real big sit-down dinners,” he said. “We figured if we stayed away from that, we’d be safe. ... We’re all, like, how did that happen?”
Photos shared on social media from the Wing Ding tournament show at least one plated meal. The photos show attendees socializing indoors without masks, sitting in close proximity on the golf course, and in a row of golf carts parked side-by-side.
Bindner has not returned phone messages seeking comment on the photos.
Public health officials don’t know who was exposed there versus having been there with an active infection, said spokesperson Christine Myron.
“This is a challenge to determine when there is such widespread community transmission and overlapping incubation and infectious periods ...” she said in an email. “However, what we do know, is that your exposure risk increases any time you’re in a larger gathering, whether it’s family, friends or strangers.”
The public health district began receiving COVID-19 test results around July 6 that tipped off a possible cluster, she said. The contact-tracing process involves talking with people about their recent activities.
“We are still working through the investigation for the incoming cases, but the commonality so far is having attended” a tournament at SpurWing, she said.
Myron said the health department doesn’t know of any hospitalizations linked to the cluster.
Anyone who may have been exposed to the coronavirus at events in June would already have shown symptoms, unless they were asymptomatic.
“We are beyond that the 14-day quarantine period,” she said. “If anyone suspects they are sick, they should talk to their health care provider about possible testing.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 9:40 AM.
