The Chainsmokers‘ latest concert is under fire after attendees appeared to be a lot closer than they should have been.
On Saturday, the musical duo was the headliner for the Safe & Sound Drive-In Concert Fundraiser held in Water Mill, New York. While the event was promoted as a coronavirus-conscious one, with sponsor JAJA Tequila promising attendees a designated area of space to park their cars, footage of the event that emerged on social media painted a much less socially distant picture.
One video, shared by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, showed a vast crowd of people gathered together below the DJ booth. ”Videos from a concert held in Southampton on Saturday show egregious social distancing violations,” Cuomo tweeted. “I am appalled.”
“The Department of Health will conduct an investigation,” he continued. “We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health.”
According to a letter penned on Monday and obtained by E! News, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker told Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman that he is “greatly disturbed by reports concerning the ‘drive-in’ concert held in your town this past weekend, which apparently involved thousands of people in close proximity, out of their vehicles, a VIP area where there wa no pretense of a vehicle, and general not adhering to social distancing guidance.”
Zucker continued, “I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat.”