Brooklyn

Video Shows Crowds Gather on Brooklyn Street in Another NYC Social Distancing Failure

The video surfaced the same day as a Jewish Orthodox school in Bed-Stuy with around 100 children was shut down, and follows a weekend where crowds were seen hanging around and drinking outside bars in Manhattan

NBC Universal, Inc.

A new video shows what appears to be a massive crowd outside a Brooklyn building, spilling onto the street with people dancing on each other and very few wearing facemasks — the latest demonstration of city residents neglecting social distancing measures.

The NYPD is now looking at the video, which was shared on Snapchat over the weekend. The apparent party is believed to have taken place near Marcus Garvey Village in Brownsville.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has reiterated at his daily briefings that New Yorkers overwhelmingly adhere to social distancing and follow instruction when engaged by social distancing ambassadors and the NYPD.

When asked about the video, a spokesperson for the mayor's office told NBC New York that crowds like that are not allowed, and should be broken up by police. Anyone who refuses to disperse should be issued a summons, the spokesperson said.

The video from Brooklyn surfaced the same day as the NYPD shut down a Jewish Orthodox school in Bed-Stuy after neighbors reported the school was operating in violation of city and state orders. Law enforcement officials estimate more than 100 children were inside the building Monday morning when police arrived

A different threat to social distancing emerged on the Upper East Side of Manhattan over the weekend: crowding outside of bars.

On Saturday, images emerged of large groups outside popular bars while drinking to-go beverages and ignoring social distancing rules. The sunny weather clearly no help to pent-up New Yorkers, most two months into isolation.

At one point, officers tackled a man they said was being combative, and he was issued a summons for an open container. According to the New York State Liquor Association, bars and restaurants can sell alcohol as long as it is closed and accompanied with food — but it's illegal to drink alcohol in public places in New York City.

Heavily crowded parks with varied face covering and social distancing enforcement were photographed in recent weeks, many images catching widespread attention on social media. These were seemingly replaced on Saturday by pictures of dozens crowded outside bars, restaurants and across sidewalks in neighborhoods where NBC New York found an abundance of social distancing violators.

Mayor de Blasio said he heard reports of very few problems on New York City beaches Sunday but "the bars is a different matter," adding a full report from the day's enforcement had not made it to the mayor yet.

The city is cracking down on those who fail to follow social distancing rules, as large crowds have been spotted at beaches and bars. Adam Harding reports.

"The police department will be out, the sheriff's office will be out watching very carefully on the Upper East Side in particular," he added. "We're not going to tolerate people congregating. It's as simple as that."

In at least one instance, a restaurant appeared to let diners sit inside.

"If we have instances where there is not compliance I want to know about it," de Blasio said Sunday. "I want any New Yorker who sees any place allowing dining in to call 311 immediately and they will be visited immediately with inspectors and there will be serious fines. If we have to shut places down we will."

Going into the weekend Mayor de Blasio said police would start limiting access to Central Park's Sheep Meadow, along with Hudson River Park Piers 45 and 46. Nearly 2,300 social distancing ambassadors and supervisors were deployed.

Streets closed around Domino Park to allowing more space for pedestrians to move about safely.Ken Buffa reports.

At Domino Park in Brooklyn, streets were closed to cars giving pedestrians additional space to move about safely while circles have been created across the park six feet apart to support social distancing.

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