Mask up, football fans. Face coverings now required at Williams-Brice
Masks will be required at South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium due to Columbia’s citywide mask mandate.
In an email sent to students Wednesday, the university said that Williams-Brice Stadium falls under the “crowded outdoor spaces” guideline in the mask mandate enacted on Sept. 8. The ordinance is in effect for 30 days.
USC’s email to students notes that the “City of Columbia is solely responsible” for enforcing the mandate. Those not wearing masks can be fined up to $100.
The email was initially shared to social media by The Daily Gamecock and was confirmed by a USC spokesperson.
Last week, more people were hospitalized in South Carolina from COVID-19 than at any point since the virus hit last March, according to data from the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control. From Sept. 4-10, DHEC reported 30,757 new cases of COVID-19, an average of about 4,394 cases a day.
Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks (2-0) have played just one game at home this season, on Sept. 4, and will travel to face Georgia this Saturday. USC’s next home game — and first under Columbia’s mask ordinance — will be Sept. 25 against Kentucky.
South Carolina has allowed full attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium after limiting capacity last season due to the virus. USC’s first game drew an announced crowd of 64,868.
The university is on a low alert level for the virus with 386 active COVID-19 cases on campus, according to USC’s coronavirus dashboard.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Mask up, football fans. Face coverings now required at Williams-Brice."
