Ohio couple apologize for their 83-person ‘super-spreader’ wedding and reveal half the guests fell ill, their elderly grandparents are in hospital and they cancelled the honeymoon after getting sick
- Anthony and Mikayla Bishop tied the knot in Blue Ash on October 31 with 83 guests in attendance
- Less than two weeks later, the couple both tested positive to COVID-19, as did 30 of their wedding guests
- The newlyweds are now speaking out about their wedding ceremony, admitting no one wore masks and attendees hovered close together on the dance floor
An Ohio couple is speaking out after 30 people contracted COVID-19 at their large wedding ceremony, which is now being dubbed a ‘super-spreader event’.
Anthony and Mikayla Bishop tied the knot in Blue Ash on October 31 with 83 guests in attendance.
Two weeks later, almost half of the attendees had come down with the coronavirus, including three of their elderly grandparents who had to be rushed to hospital suffering severe symptoms.
The Bishops say they tried to be conscious of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, trimming down their guest list, spacing out tables at their wedding reception, and providing bottles of hand sanitizer.
Anthony and Mikayla Bishop are speaking out after 30 people contracted COVID-19 at their large wedding ceremony, which is now being dubbed a ‘super-spreader event’
However, when Mikayla walked down the aisle, she realized most of her guests had decided to forgo face masks.
‘The first thing I see is I see everyone’s face. And that’s when I realized wow. Nobody’s wearing a mask,’ she told WLWT in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
Bridegroom Anthony added: ”When I saw everyone not wearing masks I was just like, ‘Oh, well I guess we’re just gonna kinda go with it I guess.
The pair say they soon became swept up in the fun of the day and largely forgot about the raging pandemic that has claimed more than 200,000 American lives.
‘Weddings are definitely scary right now. I didn’t think that almost half of our wedding guests were gonna get sick,’ Mikayla stated.
‘You’re in the moment. You’re having fun. You don’t think about COVID anymore.’
The pair say they soon became swept up in the fun of the day and largely forgot about the raging pandemic that has claimed more than 200,000 American lives
Reality soon caught up with the couple on their honeymoon when they began receiving calls from guests who had tested positive to the virus.
‘Every single day we’re getting a call. Oh here’s another person. Here’s another person. Here’s another person. And it starts to take a toll on you, Mikayla sighed.
The couple’s honeymoon was over – literally and figuratively – when they, too, came down with COVID.
While the pair only experienced mild symptoms, they say they were racked with guilt because so many of their guests had become more seriously ill.
The couple’s honeymoon was over – literally and figuratively – when they, too, came down with COVID
The couple say they believe it was the rowdy dance floor at their wedding reception where the virus could have easily spread.
‘That’s what was maybe the super spreader is the dance floor,’ Mikayla stated.
‘Everybody’s in each other’s face and there’s no masks.’
Ohio is currently being battered by the COVID-19 crisis, with more than 15,000 new cases recorded across the weekend alone.
As of Tuesday, more than 3,600 Ohioans are in hospital being treated for the virus, including 441 patients on a ventilator.
More than 5,400 people across the state had died from the disease.
The couple say they believe it was the rowdy dance floor at their wedding reception where the virus could have easily spread
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