30 Family Members Contract COVID-19 Following Funeral

LAKE PARK, Minn. (AP) _ Thirty grieving members of a family in a small northwestern Minnesota town have contracted the coronavirus after attending a funeral for a loved one.

The family of 78-year-old Francis Perreault gathered at the Catholic church in the Becker County community of Lake Park in mid-July to celebrate his life.

Yet despite wearing masks and taking precautions 30 people contracted COVID-19, including five who were hospitalized.

Perreault's daughter, Stephanie Schindler, says they tried to do everything right, but when you're grieving you let your guard down.

Schindler says it brings home the reality that the coronavirus is a threat even in places that aren't so densely populated.