Tampa residents were seen partying mask-free and packed together on the city’s historic Seventh Avenue on Saturday night, ahead of their hometown team’s appearance in Super Bowl LV.
Photos showed the strip in Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood filled with hundreds of people, many with their masks off or nowhere to be found.
Fans arrive before the NFL Super Bowl 55 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla.
(AP)
Tampa Bay Times photographer Luis Santana estimated the crowd to be in the tens of thousands, with revelers shoulder-to-shoulder in some locations.
The large, largely maskless crowds formed despite Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s order that people keep their faces covered in popular outdoor areas through next week, the Times said.
PEYTON MANNING RIDES IN LUXURY ON WAY TO SUPER BOWL LV
Tampa police had warned repeat offenders could receive fines of up to $450 — but the Times and other outlets reported little-to-no enforcement in Ybor City and other bustling neighborhoods.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Public health officials across the country have advised Americans not to gather in large groups for the big game due to COVID-19.
To read more from The New York Post, click here.
