TOPLINE
As the virus rages in southern and western America, politicians are joining health officials in sounding the alarm about house parties as potential super-spreaders, even as they confront the reality they hold few tools to prevent them from happening.
HOLLYWOOD BEACH, FL – JUNE 26: People are seen walking on the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk as Florida … [+] reports another record spike in coronavirus cases, Florida’s Covid-19 surge shows the state’s reopening plan is not working on June 26, 2020 in Hollywood Beach, Florida. Credit: mpi04/MediaPunch /IPX
mpi04/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
KEY FACTS
Arizona, Florida, Nevada and South Carolina all reported record-high numbers of new daily Covid-19 cases again Saturday.
Health officials say the resurgence of the virus can be traced not to nursing homes, but bars and house parties.
Multiple outbreaks in recent weeks have been traced to individual house parties, and mayor of Pinecrest, Florida, Joseph Corradino, warned residents this week that “private house parties” are the area’s most dangerous spreaders of the virus.
Several governors have moved to impose new coronavirus restrictions in their states in recent days, and Florida and Texas ordered bars closed on Friday.
But unlike bars, lawmakers are unable to simply shut down house parties, and stay-at-home orders (which all states have rolled back) can only do so much in a country that by-and-large would prevent the government from enforcing restrictions on private property.
In a statement, Corradino acknowledged the only thing he could to prevent outbreaks resulting from house parties was to “appeal to the common sense and decency of our citizens” even though he said he “understands the fatigue of this situation.”
Crucial quote
“A lot of what we’re seeing I think with the younger people if they’re partying at somebody’s house or something is they’re probably not wearing masks, let’s just be honest,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
Key background
Young people are now accounting for a much larger number of coronavirus infections across the United States While health officials say young people are at far less risk of developing severe symptoms from coronavirus, they pose a major problem because they can unknowingly spread the virus to the elderly, who die at much higher rates.
Tangent
In March, the New York Times reported about a house party in Westport, Connecticut, that epidemiologists say may have been at the center of the state’s initial Covid outbreak.
Further reading
House parties are ‘the most dangerous things,’ a South Florida mayor tells his city (Miami Herald)
Florida mayor urges people to forgo “private house parties” (Axios)
The Coronavirus Surge in Florida, Arizona, Texas Isn’t the Same as New York’s Crisis (Wall Street Journal)
Party Zero: How a Soirée in Connecticut Became a ‘Super Spreader’ (New York Times)
