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The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss disappointed some of her fans over the weekend after she and her loved ones threw social distancing out the window to have a huge party for her 44th birthday.
READ MORE: CASTING NEWS: Kandi Burruss nabs role on ‘The Chi’
While other celebs have enjoyed virtual birthday celebrations with the current safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic in mind, the reality star and musician instead opted to party with a pretty significant number of friends and family.
When footage of the Grammy winner’s gathering showed up online, while many of her followers wished her a happy birthday, just as many were also dismayed that despite the theme being “#KandisMaskOnBDay” both she and her guests failed to socially distance or wear their masks for most of the festivities.
Instead, guests including fellow reality star Tiny Harris were dancing together and Tiny was shown repeatedly with her mask lowered instead of over her face and nose, as they should be worn to protect others from the virus.
“I don’t understand how y’all won’t just sit out one birthday for safety,” one dismayed fan wrote when The Shade Room posted clips from the event.
“Lol just take the mask off if you ain’t gonna wear it though,” added another incredulous poster.
The casual disregard for public safety captured on film at Burruss’ gathering is arguably a microcosm of how the state of Georgia has responded to this pandemic.
One of the first to begin reopening following the nationwide shutdowns, the Peach State was among nearly a dozen to earn a failing grade in the latest scores released by Unacast, a company utilizing cellphone location data to rank states based on how well they adhere to social distancing guidance issued in response to the coronavirus.
On April 24, Gov. Brian Kemp gave several businesses the green light to reopen, including gyms, barbershops and bowling alleys. A few days later, restaurants and cinemas were added to the list.
“I think it’s pretty arrogant to say your fun is more important than protecting the public health,” Georgia healthcare worker Andrew Edwards told a local CBS affiliate. “I think there there’s lots of ways we can get out and have fun that don’t have to be gathering in large crowds.”
READ MORE: Kandi Burruss breaks silence after Valentine’s Day shooting at her OLG restaurant
According to Johns Hopkins University data, as of Friday, Georgia had more than 36,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 1,500 people have died.
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