WINTHROP, MASS. (WHDH) - A Winthrop resident was cited after hosting a party in violation of state gathering restrictions last weekend. Officials said this is the second time in as many weeks they have had to break things up.
The 51-year-old man, whose name has not been released, received a $300 fine for failure to comply with mandatory face coverings under Gov. Charlie Baker’s standing order, according to Winthrop police.
Officers responding to multiple reports about a loud party on Bellevue Avenue on Sept. 12 around 10 p.m. found a gathering of about 30 people who were disregarding state-mandated social distancing and face-covering protocols, police added.
“This is not the first time the Winthrop Police Department has been to that house,” Police Chief Terence Delehanty said. “We issued warnings first, we tried to talk to people and if our last option has to be enforced through fines or criminal charges then we will certainly exercise those options.”
Winthrop is currently considered high-risk for the coronavirus with an average daily case rate of more than 8 cases per 100,000 people over the last 14 days, the Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.
“Our community has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and willful disregard of the precautions we’re all responsible for maintaining has consequences,” Delehanty said. “Winthrop residents have been doing their part to curb the spread in of the virus in town, and everyone has to remain committed to making these shared sacrifices for the greater good.”
Under state guidelines, indoor gatherings are limited to eight people per 1,000 square feet of indoor floor space and should never exceed more than 25 people in a single enclosed, indoor space.
Additionally, outdoor gatherings are limited to 25 percent of the maximum permitted occupancy of the space, and all gatherings — indoor and outdoor — must be conducted in a way that allows each participant to maintain at least six feet of physical distance from all other attendees who live outside their household.
Everyone attending a gathering with more than 10 people is required to wear a mask or face covering.
City health officials said they hoped this served as a warning and a reminder to residents.
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