Eventbrite, an American event managing and ticketing website, removed listings for at least two different New Year’s Eve parties that were set to be held in the Bay Area amid the coronavirus pandemic.
New Year’s Eve parties amid pandemic
One of the events was scheduled to be held at 620 Jones near Union Square in San Francisco. The other was the event that Genevieve’s Wine & Travel organized and planned to hold at Fort McKinley Restaurant and Bar located in South San Francisco.
Eventbrite decided to remove the listings for the events despite having safety guidelines implemented, such as face mask requirements and social distancing. The website said the state’s new stay-at-home order banned all indoor and outdoor dining, which would make the parties fall under the promotion of illegal behavior.
In a statement, the company said, “The COVID-19 global pandemic is a very dynamic situation for everyone, including event creators, who are the hosts, facilitators, and owners of the experiences on Eventbrite’s platform.” It added that they wanted to ensure the safety and health of the community.
The 620 Jones event was marketed by saying, “Take it outside this New Year’s Eve and join us for an evening filled with celebration, champagne, incredible chef-prepared menu, and performances. Additionally, the tickets were priced at $100 each, and seats were highly limited to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols.
Organizers advertised the Fort McKinley event as a formal celebration of the New Year amid the coronavirus pandemic. It also aimed to raise enough funds for the Mondejar Global Foundation for children’s education. The event planned to include dance and music and charged each person attending $101.
Another event scheduled for Los Angeles was removed from Eventbrite’s listings after social media users brought it to attention. While the event’s organizers said face masks would be mandatory and that they would check the temperatures of every attendee, it included an “open liquor bar all night,” the San Francisco Gate reported.
One Twitter user said, “Found a bunch of NYE parties posted on @eventbrite. Open bar mansion parties w/ dancers & DJs, party buses, a cuddle party aka orgy, a comedy show. Don’t worry; most of them have temperature checks at the door. Every hospital in LA is overflowing. This cool with you, @eventbrite?”
Currently, California is experiencing its highest number of new coronavirus cases per day across the United States. The intensive care unit capacity is at 0% in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley regions, forcing officials to come up with alternatives.
