48°
During a COVID-19 press briefing on Monday, Aug. 24, Cuomo praised the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, which held Beachstock 2020 on Saturday, Aug. 22 while maintaining social distance and proper pandemic protocols.
Cuomo said that he called in extra police units to monitor the event to ensure that the situation didn’t get out of hand, similar to a situation in Southampton earlier this month when crowds gathered en masse.
“The drive-in concert in the village of Westhampton was a matter of concern, since it involved several towns and villages on Long Island, but I want to thank Westhampton Mayor (Maria) Moore) and County Executive Steve Bellone,” Cuomo said. “The concert happened over the weekend, and the village police force was there and enforcing compliance.”
According to Cuomo, he also asked Bellone to deploy some county police to assist the local officers, but it was unnecessary as concert-goers mostly adhered to the state’s mandates.
“I asked Bellone if he would have county personnel also attend the concert and make sure the health ordinances were complied with,” he continued. “We thank them - and this serves as a positive sign. You see that you can host these types of events, but people have to comply.”
Cuomo went on to compare the Westhampton event to that held in Southampton, where thousands gathered without face coverings and failed to socially distance themselves.
The planned “drive-in” concert in Southampton was only supposed to reach a capacity of 500 cars and an estimated 3,000 people, headlined by The Chainsmokers.
Currently, gatherings of more than 50 people who cannot socially distance are banned in New York.
“Videos from a concert held in Southampton on Saturday show egregious social distancing violations. I am appalled,” Cuomo stated at the time. “The Department of Health will conduct an investigation.
“We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health.”
New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker sent a letter this week to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman noting that the sate is still in a state of emergency due to COVID-19 and that he was “greatly disturbed” by the reports of “thousands of people in close proximity, out of their vehicles, a VIP area where there was no pretense of a vehicle, and generally not adhering to social distancing guidance.
“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,” he wrote.
On Monday, Cuomo said that events can be held safely and prudently, but it comes down to compliance.
“The problem comes when you host an event and people don’t comply and local authorities aren’t prepared to deal with it,” he said. “We saw it in Southampton, but that’s not the case of what happened in Westhampton. The exact opposite happened.”
On Facebook, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center posted: “We are so unbelievably grateful to Governor Andrew Cuomo for trusting that Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Mayor Maria Moore, and WHBPD Chief Trevor Gonce would make Beachstock 2020 a safe and successful event for all.
“The collective efforts from the WHBPAC staff, volunteers, Square Feeet, crew, security, and valet must be recognized for their passion and dedication to the performing arts. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Suffolk and receive free news updates.
