(CNN) About 40 people who attended a farewell party in Connecticut in early March were exposed to Covid-19 after a partygoer was confirmed to have the virus, three local Connecticut officials confirmed to CNN.

The town of Westport now has 79 cases, the most of any Connecticut municipality, according to local officials. In Fairfield County, the surrounding county, there are 384 confirmed cases, more than half of Connecticut's total number of cases.

The party serves as a stark example how quickly coronavirus spreads in crowded areas, and the role asymptomatic people can play in disseminating the disease. It also foreshadowed the warnings of public health officials that came in the following days.

"To some extent, Westport is a cautionary tale, or a harbinger of what's to come," Connecticut State Senator Will Haskell said. "I hope the 168 other towns in Connecticut see what happens in Westport and act accordingly."

The party was in honor of a man about to return to South Africa, where he is from. After arriving home, the man tested positive for Covid-19 and alerted partygoers. A week after the March 5 event, about 20 attendees reported flu-like symptoms, local health director Mark Cooper told CNN.

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