Seth Levine, an owner of the Ravel Hotel, said in a separate statement that the site also provides guests with hand sanitizer, masks and printed rules about social distancing. A security team makes sure guests wear masks when moving around the property, he said.
Some guests said they believed that the tests and other measures had adequately lowered the risk of infection or transmission. Joey Sutera, who works in marketing, said he went to the rooftop pool on July 4 with 30 friends.
“We look at New York and there’s zero deaths,” he said, referencing a day last month in which the city did not initially report any coronavirus-related fatalities. “And it’s like, New York has it under control. So, is the reward greater than the risk when we’re young and been locked up for so long in solitary confinement? I think people are willing to take that risk.”
A D.J. performed at Profundo on Monday, and the venue was beckoning guests to gather there this weekend. One of its posts on Instagram offered a free bottle of rosé to some guests who missed celebrating their birthday because of the pandemic. A poolside table was listed at $500 on the hotel’s website.
Mr. Escobar, who attended the party under the bridge, said he was not worried about contracting or transmitting the virus. He did not have symptoms, he said, and a sign at the party told people to wear a face covering. He saw people handing out hand sanitizer and masks.
“If people want to go out and enjoy themselves, regardless of risk, let them do it,” he said.
But Kristina Alaniesse, 36, who has worked as an event promoter and now posts images on Instagram of reckless behavior at parties, said the danger was not only for the partygoers, but the people they interact with later.
“It’s not a time to celebrate,” she said. “We’re not out of the woods.”