A man in one of Massachusetts' communities at highest risk for spreading the coronavirus is being fined for what police say was a large party that violated COVID-19 restrictions.
Officials in Winthrop are saying it won't tolerate parties at all -- it's a coronavirus hot spot now, one of the 17 communities whose rate of virus transmission is high enough to be in the red on the state's weekly map.
“Everyone has responsibilities in keeping us out of the red and bringing us back into the yellow and then hopefully the green,” Winthrop police Chief Terence Delehanty said.
The party took place at a home on Bellevue Avenue around 10 p.m. Saturday and was loud enough to generate several noise complaints, according to Winthrop police. The home's resident was hit with a $300 fine, police said Friday.
“There were 30 people in the backyard not being able to social distance nor wearing a mask,” according to Delehanty.
Hosting that many people together violates Gov. Charlie Baker's order to limit gatherings to 25 people, and with enough space that they can socially distance. Additionally, at gatherings of 10 people, everyone is required to wear a mask.
Meredith Hurley, the town's director of public health, said she understands that life during a pandemic is tough: “We recognize the significant burden it’s placed on our community.”
But police say there’s no excuse for not following the rules, especially in a community that’s already at high risk for COVID-19 infections.
The man who hosted the party wasn't home when NBC10 Boston tried to speak with him.
