Officials break up overcrowded pool party near University of South Carolina: 'Almost like Mardi Gras'

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An estimated couple hundred people gathered for a pool party at an apartment complex near the University of South Carolina on Saturday — until the Columbia Fire Department shut it down because partygoers were violating the city's coronavirus mask ordinance.

The city of Columbia has requested apartment complexes close their pools amid "continued confirmed accounts of large gatherings at pools," Mayor Steve Benjamin told Fox News in a statement.

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"The City of Columbia closed all of its public pools months ago in response to the initial outbreaks of the virus," Benjamin said. "There are currently almost 11,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Richland County, where Columbia resides, and we have seen a continued increase in cases throughout late July and August. ... Gatherings and activities where our citizens show disregard for public safety and public health cannot and will not be tolerated."

Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins told The State that the party was "almost like Mardi Gras."

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Concerned neighbors had tipped off the fire department, The State reported.

"If nothing was going on [like the COVID-19 pandemic], there still would have been too many people in the pool," Jenkins told The State. "Nobody was practicing social distancing. Nobody was wearing a mask. But there was lots of drinking going on."

Individuals who don't wear face masks can be fined up to $25 because it is a civil infraction, but Jenkins did not issue any fines, according to The State. Jenkins recommended the pool shut down for the season, The State reported.

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The University of South Carolina has "engaged with management teams at private off-campus apartment complexes for months to educate them on safe public health standards," a university spokesperson told Fox News.

"Unfortunately, some have not yet taken the necessary steps to slow the spread of coronavirus amongst their tenants," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We also urge our all our students to remember their individual responsibilities to public health and to use good judgement, avoiding situations where safe social distancing isn’t possible."

The University of South Carolina reports 553 active coronavirus cases among students on its website.

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Fox News' inquiries to the Apartments at Palmetto Compress wer not immediately returned.