Police across the country have shut down maskless parties as experts warn of COVID-19 variants

new york coronavirus party — People party on a rooftop on August 1, 2020, in New York City.
Noam Galai/Getty Images

Police across the country are shutting down parties that violate COVID-19 guidance.
In several incidents, more than 100 people gathered without social distancing or masks.
Coronavirus cases are declining, but experts warn of the risk of a resurgence because of variants.
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Police across the country shut down parties that defied COVID-19 safety guidelines this week.

On Saturday, police in New York City shut down an illegal warehouse party in Queens where 142 people were drinking and dancing without masks, the city's sheriff department said in a tweet.

In Chicago, three parties were shut down over the weekend, CBS Chicago reported.

The Renaissance Bronzeville was issued a cease and desist order by the city after a hosting party with 100 people. Another party with 73 people at the event venue Kreative Cave was also shut down, as well as a party with 97 people in an apartment that was acting as a makeshift club.

In all three incidents, partygoers weren't social distancing or wearing masks, CBS Chicago reported.

In Connecticut, state police shut down a house party near the University of Connecticut where 150 to 200 students were gathered also without masks, WFSB reported. The three renters of the home that hosted the party were ticketed for violating the state's social distancing guidelines.

These incidents come as public health experts warn that the US should not let its guard down even as cases decline. They warn that more transmissible variants of the coronavirus are likely to spread and cause a resurgence in cases.

Last month, experts warned that a strain discovered in the United Kingdom, known as B.1.17, is expected to become the most dominant variant in many states this month.

The New York Times reported that data analysis from Helix, a lab testing company, shows that the B.1.1.7 variant most likely accounts for 20% of new coronavirus cases.

As cases, hospitalizations, and deaths decline, states like Texas have eased COVID-19 restrictions, but experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci have warned that it's too early.

During a White House coronavirus briefing on Friday, Fauci said that cases were still too high and have plateaued between 60,000 and 70,000 new cases per day.

"When you have that much of viral activity in a plateau, it almost invariably means that you are at risk for another spike."

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