Packed crowd had few masks at Gucci Mane concert. Now Texas bar offers COVID testing
Backlash over a packed performance featuring Georgia-based rapper Gucci Mane has a Texas bar offering rapid coronavirus testing to the public, free of charge.
The Address, a restaurant and event space in Houston, announced the move on its Instagram Tuesday without explicitly mentioning the concert from two days earlier, where Gucci Mane performed in front of a mostly un-masked crowd of fans at the packed venue.
The club faced a flood of criticism after video of the “Icy” rapper’s set was posted online, showing fans dancing and singing along to his lyrics. In the clip, first shared by XXL Magazine, not a single person is seen wearing a face mask.
The party raged on amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Texas, which reported more than 14,800 new confirmed cases and 252 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Department of State Health data. Harris County, which includes Houston, has emerged as a virus hotspot and currently has the highest COVID-19 case count in the state, followed by Dallas and Tarrant counties.
“And we are wondering why we can’t be COVID free like Australia,” one critic commented under the video.
“Man I hope the club owner is making people sign a waiver!” another wrote. “This is ridiculous.”
In a statement, a representative for The Address insisted that “local, county and state guidelines were in place and executed” during the event, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The club has since announced free, drive-up coronavirus testing every day from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., according to the Instagram post. The public can also receive rapid IgM/IgC antibody testing, which detects special proteins in the body that fight off viruses.
Testing is by online appointment only, but proof of insurance isn’t required, the club owners said.
McClatchy News reached out to owners of The Address for more information and is awaiting response.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Packed crowd had few masks at Gucci Mane concert. Now Texas bar offers COVID testing."