Water Street drag show raises physical distancing concerns at pedestrian mall

Water Street was alive with dance, music and drag on Thursday evening, ashundreds of people gathered to witness a group of drag queens perform atthe St. John's pedestrian mall.

However, the night took a turn when pictures of the event surfaced on social media, prompting concerns about alack of physical distancing.

"What concerns me is that we have these government mandates. What I saw last night [on social media] was the complacency by the general public, but I also saw a lack of police presence," said Melissa Carreraon Friday.

Carrera said she hasn't yet brought her child to the pedestrian mall as she says people havenot been following the physical distancing protocols on the streets.

Stephanie Moysthad a front-row seat at a Water Street establishment for what she said was anelectric performance by 13 drag queens.

"It was fantastic. The energy was very high," she said.

A performer herself, Moyst said events such as this are a much-needed mental break from the humdrum of the pandemic. She said a picture that circulated on social media was misleading.

"What they didn't see was that about 50 per centof the audience was actually wearing masks and that these people were consistently moving and there was quite a bit of social distancing," Moyst said.

Thursday's event was the third of its kind since the pedestrian mall began, but the first to draw much attention and criticism. Drag artist and organizerDavid Blundon estimated that around 300 people gathered at one point.

"We weren't trying to break any rules, we weren't trying to go through any loopholes. We wanted to do something for the community," Blundon said.

Blundon did admit physical distancing was not maintained and that neitherCity of St. John's or the provincial Department of Healthwereconsulted while planning theevent.

Blundon said he would contact city hall the next time they plan an event, chalking Thursday up as a learning experience. He added that extra security and more bodies hired to manage the crowd would also be on his list to ensure that future drag events happen in a safe environment for everyone.

Prompted by the show, the city released a statement reminding the public that outdoor events on city property must be approved by the city's special events division and are required to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines set out by the chief medical officer of health.

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