Via: Uloop
People really need to start taking COVID-19 seriously.
A 54-year-old man from Ewing Township, New Jersey, was charged with disorderly conduct after hosting a party in his apartment during a state-wide ban on social gatherings due to the coronavirus outbreak.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order on March 21, closing all non-essential businesses and prohibiting social gatherings. The order also states that individuals must practice social distancing by staying at least six feet apart when possible.
Police received a complaint about a house party taking place, dubbed a ‘corona party’. Police arrived at the 550-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment at about 1 a.m. on Saturday morning, and discovered about 47 people “having a party that included a DJ with speakers, alcohol, and the smell of marijuana.”
Almost all the people in the apartment were all squeezed in tightly together, while a few mingled outside of the apartment.
“These are mandates, not suggestions,” Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onfori said in the statement, referring to the state’s stay-at-home order. “Not only are these actions illegal, but in a time where such reckless conduct could endanger family, loved ones, first responders and the community at large, they are also unethical.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy responded to news of the party on Twitter and explicitly warned residents against hosting “Corona parties.”
“The organizer was charged, as they should have been and deserved to be,” he tweeted on Saturday. “This is not a game. Stay home. Be smart.”
Murphy doubled down on his warning several hours later, tweeting: “Can’t believe I have to say this at all, let alone for the second time. But here we are. NO CORONA PARTIES. They’re illegal, dangerous, and stupid. We will crash your party. You will pay a big fine. And we will name & shame you until EVERYONE gets this message into their heads.
Stay home. Stay safe. Stay healthy.