Officials shutter New York club for hosting nearly 400-person party during pandemic

Officials in New York City said they shut down an illegal club this weekend after it hosted nearly 400 people, a violation of the COVID-19 restrictions on crowd sizes.

The New York City Sheriff's Office tweeted that it found at least 393 people inside a commercial property on West 36th Street in Midtown Manhattan around 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

According to New York state's emergency coronavirus restrictions, all indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people, and all "bars, restaurants, gyms and fitness centers, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, must close in-person service from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m."

The sheriff's office tweeted that the location had no liquor license and warehoused dozens of bottles of alcohol that were allegedly sold at the party.

It also said it issued arrest warrants for four unidentified organizers and charged them for "offenses for penal, health, [and] alcohol beverage control laws."

The party shutdown comes as New York City, which was once the epicenter of the pandemic, is seeing a new wave in cases and hospitalizations, according to health data.

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said between Nov. 1 and Nov. 25, the seven-day average of new daily cases rose from 621 to 1,451, the seven-day average for daily hospitalizations rose from 46 to 106, and the citywide positivity rate increased from 1.88% to 3.49%.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has stressed the importance of following the coronavirus guidelines to bring these numbers down.

"We’re going to continue to be guided by facts and data as we fight back against #COVID19 and reopen our city," he tweeted Sunday.

What to know about the coronavirus:

• How it started and how to protect yourself: Coronavirus explained
• What to do if you have symptoms: Coronavirus symptoms
• Tracking the spread in the U.S. and worldwide: Coronavirus map

This report was featured in the Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

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