Almost 100 People Catch COVID After Taylor Swift Album Release Party

What was supposed to be a celebration of Taylor Swift’s revisited album turned into a superspreader event in Australia.

At least 97 confirmed COVID-19 cases were associated with the Dec. 10 “On Repeat: Taylor Swift Red Party” at Sydney’s Metro Theatre, according to a public health alert issued Thursday by the New South Wales Ministry of Health.

The department said it’s likely that some of the infections will prove to be the omicron variant.

The department said that anyone there from 9 p.m. local time onward “is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 7 days.”

All of those individuals’ household contacts to also get tested and isolate until the entire household receives a negative result.

Though there were 600 people in attendance at the event who checked in with a QR code, NSW Health is asking anyone who was at the party but did not check in with the code to similarly get tested and isolate.

“Everyone should remain vigilant when celebrating with family, friends and colleagues and should not attend any social functions if they have any symptoms,” read the alert.

Individuals who do not comply with COVID-19 requirements such as testing, isolation, and quarantine face a 5,000 AUD ($3,576 USD) fine, up from 1,000 AUD. Corporations in violation face a 10,000 AUD ($7,152) fine, up from 5,000 AUD.

The state as of 8 p.m. local time Thursday had over 9,500 active cases of COVID-19 as well as 192 hospitalizations, including 26 intensive care patients and 8 requiring ventilation, according to NSW Health.

The party does not appear to have any official links to Swift and she has not yet remarked on the event on either Instagram or Twitter.

[via New York Daily News]