Michiganders won't stop partying even though COVID-19 outbreaks keep happening

• At least 43 people between 15 and 25 years old tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a July 4 party in Saline, Michigan.
• Several other cases were linked to a boat party attended by hundreds on Michigan's Torch Lake the same weekend.
• Just weeks earlier, more than 150 COVID-19 cases were linked to a college bar in East Lansing, Michigan.
• Health officials told Insider they are "very concerned" by the parties being held in Michigan with no social distancing or face masks.
• Young people who were at the parties told Insider that they felt safe, though health officials said partygoers should be better protecting themselves during the pandemic.

Several parties across Michigan have been identified as the sources of several COVID-19 outbreaks in recent weeks.

Since mid-June, a college bar in East Lansing has been tied to more than 150 COVID-19 cases, a July 4 celebration in Saline led to 43 people testing positive for the virus, and several others tested positive after going to a sand bar party on Torch Lake, near Rapid City.

Health officials have reported 77,864 COVID-19 cases in Michigan since the pandemic began, and 6,326 people have died from the virus.

Some recent cases have been linked to younger people — Ingham County health officials said that the majority of people linked to Harper's Restaurant and Brew Pub in East Lansing were between 16 and 28 years old, and those who tested positive after the Saline house party were between 15 and 25.

Michigan has rolled back some re-opening measures recently amid the new cases. They issued a mask mandate last week, ordering all residents to wear face coverings to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, and restaurants in the state had to re-close their indoor dining.

But many people are continuing to go out and about to meet up with friends at house parties and on nearby lakes.

"I haven't felt unsafe one time since the corona pandemic started back in February," 21-year-old Eric Rengwelski told Insider. He was among hundreds who attended a sand bar party on Torch Lake over July 4 weekend.

The Northwest Michigan Health Department issued a statement over the weekend saying several people tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the lake party. They didn't say exactly how many cases had been recorded but said those who tested positive couldn't identify everyone they came in contact with, making contact tracing more difficult. Officials have encouraged people to isolate for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19.

"I've taken quarantine precautions when I'm at home, but I've still gone out and done things with my usual group of friends," Ringwelski said.

Tyler Curtis Henry, a 24-year-old model and barber based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, told Insider that he was at Torch Lake July 4 weekend too. He said the crowd at the party varied in age, and that it was busiest when people were playing beer pong and water games like chicken.

Henry was also at Harper's during the outbreak in June, where he had celebrated his 24th birthday.

He said he has a lot of older family members, and went to visit them before learning about the Harper's outbreak. He ultimately tested negative for COVID-19 before going to Torch Lake but is still concerned for his older family members.

"I'm a healthy person," he said. "I'm very, very active, but I'm never really thinking about myself so much during this. I'm more thinking about others."

He said he hasn't seen any of his older relatives since returning to Grand Rapids from Torch Lake.

Health officials say they're 'very concerned' by the lack of social distancing at parties that happened over July 4 weekend

Another Torch Lake sand bar attendee, 26-year-old Chris Perry from Birmingham, Michigan, told Insider that being at the party felt like an "escape" from "the negativity and confusion being portrayed on most mainstream media platforms."

But Michigan's health officials are still encouraging social distancing, and say parties can impact people beyond their close-knit communities.

The Saline party has spread potential infections outside Washtenaw County and even outside the state, the Washtenaw County Health Department said in a press release Monday, adding that it led to exposures in a retirement community, restaurants, camps, and more.

The outbreak at Harper's spread to 15 of Michigan's 83 counties and led to a surge of cases 100 miles away in Grosse Pointe, where young people had attended a house party and a bonfire after going to the college bar.

Jimena Loveluck, a health officer with Washtenaw County Health Department, told CNN on Tuesday that she fears people aren't taking the virus seriously anymore.

"We need people of all ages, including young people, to take COVID-19 seriously and follow public health guidelines and instructions. That means avoiding large gatherings without physical distancing or face coverings. It also means cooperating with the Health Department to complete case investigation and contact tracing," she said.

Lynn Sutfin, a public information officer for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, told Insider that her colleagues are "very concerned" about the lack of mask wearing and social distancing they saw in July 4 weekend photos on social media.

"There is a not a vaccine for COVID-19 or a proven antiviral treatment," she said. "It is important that we all do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask, washing our hands often, and staying home if not feeling well. We want to continue moving forward with the reopening of our economy in Michigan, but actions like these could jeopardize all the progress we have made."