---
title: "Officials Are Investigating The Chainsmokers for Spreading the Coronavirus"
description: "The New York Department of Health is investigating a recent Chainsmokers concert due to potentially coronavirus spread among a packed crowd."
date: "2020-07-28"
modified: "2020-07-28"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/officials-investigating-chainsmokers-spreading-coronavirus"
categories:
  - "Developments"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Medical"
  - "Pathogens"
  - "Viruses"
tags:
  - "coronavirus"
  - "covid19"
  - "health"
  - "music"
---

# Officials Are Investigating The Chainsmokers for Spreading the Coronavirus

![The New York Department of Health is investigating a recent Chainsmokers concert due to potentially coronavirus spread among a packed crowd.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/officials-investigating-chainsmokers-spreading-coronavirus.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: The Come Up Show via Flickr\</em\>*

What was supposed to be a socially-distanced, drive-in Chainsmokers concert quickly degraded into the sort of packed, close-quarters event one might have attended in the Before Times.

Now, New York's Department of Health says it will investigate the July 25 concert as a health hazard, *[NBC News ](<https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chainsmokers-packed-concert-sparks-new-york-state-investigation-n1235079?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma>)*[reports](<https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chainsmokers-packed-concert-sparks-new-york-state-investigation-n1235079?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma>). The close quarters and spotty mask-wearing make it all but certain that concertgoers walked away from the Southampton venue with more than memories of a mediocre EDM-pop band — it's reasonable to expect that many will have caught COVID-19 as well.

"Videos from a concert held in Southampton on Saturday show egregious social distancing violations," New York Governor [Andrew Cuomo tweeted](<https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1287901143172108289>). "I am appalled. The Department of Health will conduct an investigation. We have no tolerance for the illegal & reckless endangerment of public health."

https://twitter.com/NYGovCuomo/status/1287901143172108289

It's easy to joke. These are people who went out during a pandemic and risked it all to see *The Chainsmokers,* after all. And the opener — we are not kidding — [was the CEO of Goldman Sachs](<https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/business/hamptons-concert-goldman-sachs-ceo-chainsmokers/index.html>), who performed a DJ set.

But the concert is also a damning indictment against trying to open too many businesses or [lift too many restrictions](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/second-covid-wave-psychologically-devastating>) as the pandemic continues.

"I am greatly disturbed by reports concerning the 'drive-in' concert held in your town this past weekend, which apparently involved thousands of people in close proximity, out of their vehicles, a VIP area where there was no pretense of a vehicle, and generally not adhering to social distancing guidance," New York health commissioner Howard Zucker wrote to Southampton supervisor Jay Scheiderman. "I am at a loss as to how the Town of Southampton could have issued a permit for such an event, how they believed it was legal and not an obvious public health threat."

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)