COLUMBIA, S.C. — Large crowds in Columbia's Five Points have led the Columbia Fire Department to warn people to wear a mask.
The agency tweeted late Friday afternoon that anyone planning to go out to area bars and nightclubs in the capital city to celebrate Halloween needs to wear a mask.
They released video and pictures of the long lines outside some of the bars in the city, where young adults were standing dressed for Halloween. The department said they've talked to people lined up on the sidewalks and told them to mask up.
In some cases the department will issue tickets. The tweet said individuals will be warned to wear a mask only once; after that, individuals will get a ticket.
The fire department has broken up several large gatherings in recent weeks at off-campus housing and apartments near the University of South Carolina.
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The Columbia City Council is next set to meet on November 10. Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine said at that meeting the council is expected to approve an extension of the city's mask ordinance. The mask mandate first went into effect back on June 26. Columbia was the second South Carolina city, following Charleston, to enact such a rule.
