Maine health officials are warning hockey players and their families — an estimated 400 people in total — that they may have been exposed to the coronavirus if they played in eight games earlier this month that were officiated by a referee who has now tested positive for the infection.
Those games were played over a two-day period between Oct. 3 and 4, at rinks in Biddeford, Yarmouth and Laconia, New Hampshire.
On Oct. 3, the ref officiated games at 8:35 a.m. and 10:05 a.m. at Biddeford Ice Arena and at 5:45 p.m. at Merrill Fay Arena in Laconia, New Hampshire.
On Oct. 4, the ref officiated games at 7:45 a.m., 9:20 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Biddeford Ice Arena and from 6:30 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. at North Yarmouth Academy.
Nirav Shah, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned any players or family members who were at those games to consider themselves close contacts of the ref and quarantine at home for two weeks. He also suggested they consider getting tested for COVID-19.
The CDC did not have information Thursday afternoon about the kinds of games that were played, including whether they were youth or adult hockey games, Shah said.