1,000 people party at club during pandemic, prompting Connecticut city to shut it down

A city in Connecticut shut down a nightclub after officials say it hosted more than 1,000 people Saturday night without proper social distancing measures.

Health officials arrived at 50’s Lounge LLC, also known as 50 Fitch, in New Haven for an inspection and found the nightclub hosting more than 1,000 guests, the Hartford Courant reported.

When officials asked the club’s owners to immediately shut the establishment down, they refused, according to the newspaper.

“We spoke to the owners of this establishment and made a request that they shut down immediately, with which they did not comply, and we had no choice but to shut them down as a result of these violations,” building inspector Jim Turcio said in a press release obtained by the Courant.

The club had previously sued Gov. Ned Lamont, saying that his orders to close businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic were unconstitutional — but it lost the legal challenge, the New Haven Register reported.

Director of Public Health Maritza Bond issued a cease-and-desist letter to the owners of the club, citing social distancing violations. Officials say guests were not required to stay six feet apart and didn’t wear masks when they weren’t eating, the New Haven Register reported.

The club was also cited for having an over-capacity outdoor dining area and permitting a public health nuisance on the property, according to the Register, along with violations pertaining to zoning approval that were not related to coronavirus policies.

“I want to remind residents of the city that we are still in a pandemic,” Bond said, WFSB reported. “Taking the necessary health precautions is critical to containing the spread of COVID-19, which continues to pose a serious threat to public health in our community.”

Officials said they would also notify the State Department of Liquor Control of the alleged violations, according to the outlet.

This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 12:16 PM with the headline "1,000 people party at club during pandemic, prompting Connecticut city to shut it down."