Bay Area COVID-19 outbreak linked to concert by LA band

FELTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A COVID-19 outbreak in Santa Cruz County is linked to a concert by a Los Angeles-based band.

The band Grateful Shred held an indoor show on July 18 -- and since then nearly all of the band and crew have tested positive. Concertgoers and at least one staff member at the concert hall have also tested positive.

The band, which specializes in covering Grateful Dead songs, is now asking anyone who attended the show at the Felton Music Hall to get tested.

The owner of the venue also alerted Santa Cruz County health officials.

The band released a statement on their Instagram page saying that nearly their entire band and crew contracted the coronavirus as well despite being fully vaccinated.

Santa Cruz County is investigating the possibility of more cases at the Grateful Shred shows at Felton Music Hall and the Roaring Camp venue during the weekend of July 17 and 18.

"We've only recently become aware of this situation so our communicable disease unit is investigating," Santa Cruz County Communications Manager Jason Hoppin said. "We're in the early stages of that investigation, so we're still trying to understand the scope and source."

The hall announced shows are canceled until Aug. 5 and there will be a policy change.

As a result of the outbreak, anyone attending a future concert at the Felton Music Hall will be required to wear masks and all employees must be vaccinated.

They say they will not be adding any additional restrictions or warnings despite this outbreak.

"Part of the reason there is not a requirement is because the solution to this kind of problem is right in front of us," Hoppin said. "There's vaccines that are widely available. Unfortunately, the groups that we are seeing that are kind of lagging in the vaccination rates tend to be those younger adults, the kind of groups you see going to a concert like this."