An Ohio club was cited for “egregious violations” of health orders after hundreds of non-mask wearing fans desperate to see R&B singer Trey Songz packed the indoor venue.
Undercover agents observed roughly 500 people late Saturday at the jam-packed, 15,000-square-foot nightspot in a Columbus shopping plaza, the Ohio Investigative Unit said in a statement.
“Patrons were congregated throughout the premises with no attempts to maintain social distancing and no physical barriers in place,” authorities said.
“Agents observed patrons standing, walking freely and sharing alcoholic beverages directly from the same bottle as they were passed between groups.”
The club, Aftermath, also had no physical barriers in place and “most of the crowd” weren’t wearing masks or practicing social distancing, the agency said.
The venue was cited for improper conduct and disorderly activities. The incident has been referred to the Ohio Liquor Control Commission for potential penalties, including the revocation of its liquor license, authorities said.
Photos from the event show tightly packed fans — without face coverings — huddled near the stage to see Songz, who contracted COVID-19 himself in October.
Employees working behind the club’s bar were also spotted without masks, the photos show.
One video posted to Instagram shows Trey Songz serenading the largely non-mask wearing crowd pressed up against the stage, where just one person was seen donning a face covering.
The event was so packed with reckless fans desperate to see the Virginia native that city officials initially thought the photos were from 2019, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
“I honestly thought that it was from 2019, that there was no way an establishment would act like that, during a pandemic that threatens our entire community, with utter disregard for public health standards,” Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said.
Klein said his office has filed six nuisance orders related to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, but none appear to be as serious as Saturday’s show.
“They’ve violated every law and norm in place to protect against COVID,” Klein told the newspaper.
Reps from Aftermath and Trey Songz could not be reached for comment, the Dispatch reported.