Did you attend Mecktoberfest? Officials urge COVID-19 testing as cases are reported.

People who attended the Olde Meckleburg Brewery’s annual Mecktoberfest celebration should consider getting tested for COVID-19, Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said.

Two coronavirus cases have been connected to the event so far that featured “very few masks” and “very little social distancing,” Harris told county commissioners during their meeting Tuesday.

Even before the event, Harris had warned a gathering like Mecktoberfest could become a potential COVID-19 hotspot.

“There were thousands of people there. Those folks need to be tested,” Harris said.

The event was held Sept. 25-27. Video on Fox 46 Charlotte’s website shows a packed beer garden with mostly maskless customers.

The brewery outlines COVID-19 protocols on its website, including a message about “obsessive cleanliness” when it reopened under Phase Two in May.

“We are in compliance with the latest statewide mandate concerning masks and we ask that our guests wear their mask inside the Brauhaus (unless you’re at your table) and whenever you are ordering beer and food (inside and outside),” OMB’s website states. “All of our tables are appropriately spaced and there is plenty of room to spread out, relax and enjoy a fresh, cold beer.”

OMB spokesman Chandler Owen called the brewery a “safe and enjoyable place,” and encouraged customers to continue to visit, in a statement to the Observer Wednesday. The brewery did not address questions from the Observer about the county’s warning over Mecktoberfest.

“OMB has always and will continue to work diligently to ensure that we comply with and adhere to all county, state and national health regulations and recommendations,” Owen said in the statement. “It is also perhaps the easiest place in town to enjoy a beer or a meal with friends while social distancing.”

Late Wednesday afternoon, the health department announced the brewery will host a free event for COVID-19 testing at its location on Oct. 10 from 8 to 11 a.m.

Contract tracing efforts

Harris said Mecklenburg’s testing guidance has remained consistent in recent months. People who have COVID-19 symptoms or had close contact with an infected person should get tested. And people who attended “any gathering” — such as protests or private events with friends and family — are also eligible.

Restaurants and breweries have been allowed to open in North Carolina at 50% capacity.

Harris’ disclosure marks a critical milestone in the county’s contact tracing efforts, which to date have not publicly revealed if businesses or gatherings have sparked a cluster of infections.

Last month, Harris offered broad insights showing 36% of infected people had frequented restaurants and breweries, and 38% went to gatherings with family and friends. Less than 10% of people reported going to weddings, funerals and places of worship.

Health officials and hospitality experts have said there’s nothing inherently unsafe about dining out during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially if establishments are following safety protocols. But outdoor dining is generally safer than indoor dining. And officials advise eating with members of the same household, rather than friends meeting up in large or small groups.

Mecklenburg keeps a running list of places tied to known cases or that are not compliant with coronavirus restrictions, such as crowd capacity limits, keeping customers six feet apart or enforcing required face coverings, Deputy Health Director Raynard Washington previously told The Charlotte Observer.

After hundreds of inspections, the county’s COVID-19 ambassadors found that 91% of restaurants complied with certain guidelines. But only 67% of bars earned passing marks, according to data Harris showed Tuesday.

In neighboring Cabarrus County, health officials linked multiple cases to Old Armor Beer Co. in downtown Kannapolis last month. But the business owner told the Observer he and his workers have been diligent about reducing exposure, and he believed it was unfair the brewery was singled-out.

Observer staff writer Hannah Smoot contributed

This story was originally published October 7, 2020 at 7:00 AM.