Coronavirus-positive students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have been attending several parties as part of a contest to see who at the party can first contract the virus.
The students throwing the gatherings are intentionally inviting people who have COVID-19 and throwing money in a pot as a prize for the first person to get sick, according to ABC News.
“It makes no sense,” Tuscaloosa City Councilor Sonya McKinstry said. “They’re intentionally doing it.”
Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service Chief Randy Smith said at a recent City Council meeting that the parties have been a concern for city officials for weeks.
“We thought that was kind of a rumor at first,” Smith said. “We did some research. Not only do the doctors’ offices confirm it, but the state confirmed they also had the same information.”
The city has not addressed how it will handle the parties that are putting public health at risk.
Tuscaloosa is home to the University of Alabama.
The coronavirus has infected more than 2.5 million people in the United States and killed more than 127,000.
