© Getty ImagesNYC authorities shut down illegal party with more than 100 people
New York City authorities shut down an illegal party early Sunday in a Queens warehouse that held more than 100 people who were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing.
The New York City Sheriff's Office reported finding at least 142 people dancing and drinking alcohol after learning about a potential rave at the location on Saturday night, according to a release obtained by CNN.
The deputies who responded "observed a large volume of patrons entering a commercial warehouse with its security gate rolled down halfway" and heard "loud music emanating from the warehouse," according to the release.
Officers charged two security guards and a DJ with appearance tickets for not complying with city and state coronavirus restrictions, for health code violations and for unlicensed security guard activities.
The warehouse where the party was found did not have a New York state liquor license or a certificate of occupancy with the city's Department of Buildings.
Police across the country have had to respond to parties in violation with restrictions as the pandemic has raged for more than a year. Earlier, the New York City Sheriff's Office was involved in shutting down three gatherings on New Year's Eve, according to CNN.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has called on New Yorkers to double mask until at least June as the city works on vaccinating its residents. More than 2.2 million doses of the vaccine have been given to New Yorkers, according to city data.
As of Thursday, the city has a seven-day average of 3,625 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 infections, a drop from the spike in January.