Authorities busted hundreds of Halloween partygoers over the weekend, including one that had more than 600 in attendance without face masks or social distancing practices despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Three businesses illegally threw Halloween parties, according the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection on Monday (November 2).
Businesses that hosted parties could be fined up to $10,000, Block Club Chicago reported. Another party that was slated to host more than 500 was shut down before it could start.
Citations were for throwing “large, illegal commercial gatherings that were significantly over capacity and in egregious violation of COVID-19 regulations,” according to the City of Chicago.
The massive Halloween parties come during Chicago’s “second surge” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady and other officials previously warned of the risk that could come from Halloween celebrations, particularly indoor gatherings attended by adults.
"I'll be honest with you,” Arwady said in late September. “I’m more worried about the adults than I am the children. To be perfectly honest, I am worried about the potential for large indoor gatherings."
Illinois has tracked more than 423,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide as of Monday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been more than 9,800 deaths in the state, and more than 7.8 million tests administered. The recovery rate is 97%, Department of Health data show.
Cook County has reached more than 89,700 confirmed cases and more than 2,400 deaths, according to the Illinois Department of Health.
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