Nashville’s Lower Broadway draws large crowds on Fourth of July weekend amid COVID-19 surge – Tennessean
Large crowds flocked to Nashville’s bar district on Lower Broadway Friday, despite a bombshell week of the largest-yet wave of new COVID-19 infections in the city.
People squeezed onto various “transportainment” vehicles and waited in groups en masse as they waited to get inside businesses. Others chose simply to walk and take in the novelty of the famed street. An overwhelming majority did not wear masks.
The city reverted to a modified phase 2 Friday, shuttering bars for at least 14 days and reducing restaurant capacity to 50%. For the purposes of its restrictions, the city considers any restaurant that makes most of its revenue from the sale of alcohol to be a bar. The Metro Health Department clarified to the Tennessean that a business must hold a restaurant license with the Tennessee Alcohol and Beverage Commission to remain open.
The Tennessean was told by an official that two bars had initially opened Friday in violation of the order, but agreed to close after a visit by officials earlier in the day.
But while the city’s enforcement of its mask mandate also began Friday, The Tennessean saw no concerted efforts of enforcement. Metro police, which previously focused this week on educating the public about mask use, are now able to cite people with a Class C misdemeanor and a fine up to $50.
Several police cars were patrolling the area, as is usual for Lower Broadway, but no officers were seen citing any individuals. One officer standing near Bailey’s Sports Grille, which drew some of the largest crowds Friday, was seen only putting on his mask when he saw a photographer.
Officials: Bar crowds lead to spike in COVID-19 clusters
Mayor John Cooper and health officials Thursday singled out bars as an infection risk in the city, saying they were the source of a “record number of clusters” of new cases this week.
Dr. Alex Jahangir, head of the city’s coronavirus task force, said public health workers first detected a trend of bar-related infections last weekend and have since traced at least 30 new infections of Nashville residents across 10 different bars. The number could be higher since unaccounted tourists may have contracted the virus from those businesses, he said.
Nashville recorded its highest and second-highest single-day of new infections in the past two days, with 608 new cases Thursday and 358 new cases Friday.
Health officials concerned that large gatherings could further accelerate the spread of the virus, canceled the city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks show.
Record numbers: What to know about Tennessee’s highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases
The Memorial Day holiday also drew large crowds in several cities that were followed by an increase in new coronavirus cases. On Thursday, Dr. James Hildreth, an infectious disease expert who leads Meharry Medical College, said the increase of the virus in Nashville dated as far back to Memorial Day. He said that a person who was infected on that weekend could by now have been responsible for as many as 500 new infections.
On Friday, several Nashville honky-tonks had signs posted on their doors stating they were closed, while all businesses on Lower Broadway appeared to have signs about mask requirement. One business selling boots even provided free masks for patrons, though several were seen not wearing masks. At one point, an officer stepped inside, but left after discussing a different matter with an employee.
Some of the largest crowds formed outside Bailey’s, Rippy’s Honky Tonk, Broadway Brewhouse and Margaritaville, as people waited to go inside — but no social distancing was observed.
Metro Health Director Dr. Michael Caldwell previously told Metro Council members that enforcement is more challenging in a place like Lower Broadway, where the culture is for people to visit multiple locations in one evening.
“My observation is that outside on (Lower Broadway), people are not choosing to wear masks … We’re doing our best to try to ensure social distancing inside, but it’s a lot harder to do outside,” he said, on a call before the city moved to mandate face coverings.
When asked about tracing infections for tourists visiting the city — and especially Lower Broadway — city leaders previously said they were working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on multi-state outbreaks.
Caldwell also said the city works with other state health departments to share information. However, he conceded that those situations have typically been when officials can easily pinpoint an a specific event — such as the first case of COVID-19 patient in Tennessee, who contracted the virus in Boston at the Bio-Gen conference in late February.
Lower Broadway crowds criticized
Some have taken to Twitter to criticize the behavior seen on Lower Broadway Friday, calling out officials for not enforcing the city’s health guidance.
Andrew Mischke, co-owner of Rosemary Beauty Queen Bar in East Nashville, lambasted officials in a tweet, saying leaders failed in “varying degrees” to address the “incredibly serious problem” of COVID-19.
“As long as you reward bad behavior & punish good behavior, nothing will change,” he wrote.
Mischke said his bar was forced to close Friday, after reopening in phase two. The previous phase allowed restaurants and bars that serve food to open. But under the new requirements for the modified phase two, he said he had to shut down once more and lay off his entire staff.
But while his business practiced safety precautions, including requiring guests to wear masks, taking their temperatures and socially distancing patrons, he said behavior is seemingly going unchecked on Lower Broadway.
“We are 100% behind doing our part to slow the spread, but nothing we’ve done is going to help as long as you treat East Nashville the same way as Lower Broad & Division,” Mischke wrote. “This is not right.”
Yihyun Jeong covers politics in Nashville for USA TODAY NETWORK – TENNESSEE. Reach her at yjeong@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @yihyun_jeong.
Published 1:18 AM EDT Jul 4, 2020
