'Dangerous': Halloween party with almost 400 revellers busted by police
Nearly 400 people were busted at an illegal Halloween party inside a warehouse, which violated health directives amid rising case numbers in a previous coronavirus epicentre.
On Saturday around 1am (local time), deputies with the New York City Sheriff’s Department shut down the illegal bar and party inside a warehouse in Brooklyn.
The Sheriff’s Department said more than 387 people were inside and were violating emergency orders, and nine organisers were charged with multiple misdemeanours and offences relating to the Administrative Code, Health Code and Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.
Images shared by the department show the revellers packed inside the warehouse, with no physical distancing being observed.
While most are wearing face masks in addition to their costumes, some are not.
Inside the warehouse were three bars and a DJ, according to NBC New York, and people at the party were charged for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and violating Covid restrictions which ban large gatherings.
In the state of New York, there is a new cluster initiative which tracks cases across the state.
The warehouse address seems to be out of the Brooklyn cluster zone which is highlighted on the state’s website.
10/31/20 @ 0100HRS: Deputy Sheriffs shut down illegal bar/party inside warehouse at 23 Meadow Street, Brooklyn: 387+ people violation of emergency orders, 9 organizers charged with multiple misdemeanors, Administrative Code, Health Code & Alcoholic Beverage Control Law offenses. pic.twitter.com/qKxvqRtpWt
— NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) October 31, 2020
However, regardless of which phase a region is in, the maximum amount of people at a social gathering is 50, under phase four restrictions.
The state also requires people to wear face coverings when they are in public spaces or on public transport and when a distance of at least 1.8 metres from other people can’t be maintained.
New York City’s Greenwich Village Halloween Parade was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, an event which usually sees tens of thousands of revellers pack the streets of downtown Manhattan.
On Friday, the city’s mayor warned against indoor celebrations, which he declared were “too dangerous”.
“You can be outdoors celebrating, but small groups, smart precautions,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said on WNYC radio on Friday.
“But no indoor gatherings. That’s just too dangerous.”
New York was one of the first epicentres of the coronavirus pandemic – just months ago the hospitals were overrun and bracing for the worst, while funeral homes could not accomodate for the surge in deaths.
The state continues to record thousands of cases per day, following the reopening after the first wave.
At the height of the state’s first wave, there were several thousands of cases being confirmed every day – on October 30 there were just over 2200 confirmed cases.
The US continues to lead to world in Covid-19 cases, with over nine million, and more than 230,000 deaths.
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