Police broke up at least two parties Halloween night with large crowds that seemed to violate state health orders, dispersing those gathered without incident.
One event was discovered when police responded to a traffic accident on the west side of Utah Lake and another was asked to break up from a Lehi, Utah warehouse. Both seemed to violate the health orders of groups gathering in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that is surging in Utah. An additional 10 people reported dead on Sunday, with hospitals at capacity and 1,854 new cases confirmed by test in the last 24 hours.
The Utah County Health Department urged those attending to monitor for symptoms and to get tested if symptoms surface.
A party involving thousands, organized by Utah Tonight, was broken up after deputies responded to a traffic accident involving and then realized the party was taking place. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff's Department said there were least a couple of thousand people attending, though he wasn't sure of the exact number. Social media from the event, though not an official count, said as many as 10,000 people gathered together in a packed crowd. That number cannot be verified. You can view Utah Tonight's Instagram stories feed at: instagram.com/stories/utahtonight to see video of the event.
Cannon said the group did not have a mass gathering permit and so it was shut down. He said everyone was cooperative with police but it took time for the large number of people to disperse. There was an injury at the event when a person fell to the ground while crowd surfing. She was taken to a hospital. Utah Tonight Events has video of the event on its Instagram page.
Cannon said law enforcement's main concern was the size of the crowd, the ability to get in or out of the area and the lack of bathroom facilities.
"The disgusting nature of the obvious human need," was a problem he said. "When you are there for a while and somebody's got to go to the bathroom, they are going to do it somewhere and they are not going to drive all the way back to Saratoga."
The Utah County Health Department issued a statement about the events:
As we struggle in our local and state-wide communities to contain the COVID-19 virus and mitigate its impacts on our communities, it is unfortunate that some would ignore public health and medical guidance and plan and participate in an event that would allow for the ready spread of the disease between individuals which can then be taken back by these individuals to our communities and infect others who are trying to follow public health and medical recommendations.
The full statement is below.
Governor Herbert has also released a statement Sunday evening stating that social gatherings are a main source of COVID-19 infections and applauded those who put the "lives of Utahns ahead of their own desire to maintain a lively social life."
Video of the event shows massive crowds and shots from the stage with lights. A large inflatable clown looked down on those gathered. The footage shows crowds packed together outdoors. Virtually no masks were visible.
One group who is said to have performed at the event said a "bunch of individuals" organized the event. It also said no money was exchanged.
Lehi police broke up a party in warehouse district for a noise ordinance. It also seemed to violate state mask orders and crowd directives from the state Halloween night.
Lehi Police Department said the warehouse was rented out by a private company, although it wasn't sure what company. The event included privately hired security. When the event reached much more than maximum capacity, police were called by the private security company to put an end to the party. A police spokesman said those at the event were compliant with police and there were no issues.
Police said it wasn't clear how many people attended the event but said it was a "large number," though probably much smaller than the event on the west side of Utah Lake
Video of the event was gathered by a warehouse owner in Lehi who had employees working nearby at the time who called with concern after they heard people running around the warehouse area. The woman who didn't want to be identified because she was concerned about retribution to her business or her. Her identity is known to KUTV. Her video appeared to show hundreds of people gathered at what she termed a rave-type event on her recording. She said she sent her employees home and also said trash was left around the warehouses after the event ended.
A phone capture promoting the event appears to have circulated on social media. It called the event "Frightmare Frenzy," listing an admission price of "$15 AT DOOR W/ REPOST." It also said masks were required and and "costumes required" for the event that was scheduled for 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at 401 S., 850 E. in Lehi. It also listed the organizers' names, Scottie Brown and Richy Maddalone.
An Instagram story with one of the same names showed a large gathering inside a warehouse with music and a DJ. It said, "***sold out in 30 minutes*** TRIPLED VENUE CAPACITY." It also asked for a yes or no vote about holding a New Years Eve party.
Full statement from the Utah County Health Department:
We echo the statement made by the Governor’s Office today.
As we struggle in our local and state-wide communities to contain the COVID-19 virus and mitigate its impacts on our communities, it is unfortunate that some would ignore public health and medical guidance and plan and participate in an event that would allow for the ready spread of the disease between individuals which can then be taken back by these individuals to our communities and infect others who are trying to follow public health and medical recommendations.
The organizers of the Halloween Protest are encouraging the direct opposite of public health and medical guidance. They claim to want to get life “back to normal”. Their actions and the actions they are encouraging will cause a further increase in COVID-19 cases and push the time of “back to normal” that much further away.
The actions of the organizers and attendees are dangerous to themselves, our communities, our healthcare system, and our efforts to combat COVID-19.
We strongly encourage all who attended the event to monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested if symptoms present.
We are grateful for the vast majority of our citizens who are striving to protect themselves and their fellow citizens by adhering to the health guidance.
We continue to urge all citizens to stay home when ill, practice social/physical distancing, practice good personal hygiene, wear masks/face coverings in public settings where physical distancing is difficult, and to avoid large gatherings. Please seek out testing, as directed.
Full statement from Governor Herbert:
Data consistently shows that social gatherings are a main source of COVID-19 infections. It’s very difficult to give up time with family and friends - but Utahns who put others’ lives and health ahead of their own desire to maintain a lively social life, or even gather with extended family, are heroic. The reality of COVID-19 has already hit many Utahns who have lost loved ones to the disease, as well as many others who are experiencing the lasting effects of COVID-19 on their heart or lungs. The virus is all too real and terrifying for the medical professionals working overtime in our packed ICUs. We must decide, and show by our actions, that the lives of everyone around us matter more to us than parties. If we do not, we will have a difficult time beating COVID-19 as a society.
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November 02, 2020 at 10:45AM
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Utah Halloween parties appear to violate state order for crowd size, distancing, masking - KJZZ
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