Since early August, Los Angeles has been under a strict NO PARTIES order. Seriously, on August 7, Mayor Eric Garcetti mandated no parties of any kind, no “public and private gatherings of any number of people,” unless those people all belong to the same household. Garcetti implemented the party prohibition because California has experienced a dramatic upswing in its coronavirus infection rate — now compounded by a series of devastating, air-polluting wildfires — and he threatened to cut the utilities at any home that violated the Rules.
But you know who doesn’t give two hoots about the Rules? Hailey and Justin Bieber. These two Goo-Goos, as they are unfortunately known to each other, reportedly threw a house party over the weekend, and, according to the Daily Mail, “a masked ball it wasn’t!” Apparently, it was an “extravagant” birthday celebration for singer Justine Skye, and celebs including Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Winnie Harlow, Jaden Smith, and Luka Sabbat attended; seemingly only Harlow succeeded in covering her face. The party did appear to take place mostly outside, where coronavirus transmission risk is (to the best of our medical knowledge) low, but still: Garcetti has vowed that the Department of Water and Power “will not act lightly” if it catches wind of flagrant transgressions.
In Los Angeles County, new COVID-19 cases have been declining in the past few weeks, although the area remains on the state’s watch list. Across the country, the pandemic’s strong resurgence has been at least partially attributable to young people, who, although they seem less likely to become severely ill from the coronavirus, can definitely still transmit it to others and love to party. To drive home the message that youthful abandon will not be tolerated, Garcetti’s administration turned off the lights on TikTokers Bryce Hall, Noah Beck, and Blake Gray last week. As a unit, TikTok influencers have lately acted as a large middle finger to Garcetti’s rager moratorium, and this most recent warning was not their first. Garcetti has indicated that he may let first-time offenders off with an educational warning, so perhaps Hailey and Justin escaped with hot-water access intact — for now.