Two of Columbia’s biggest attractions will require masks to be worn starting Friday
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden and Columbiana Centre shopping mall are requiring visitors to wear masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Beginning Friday, officials said visitors must wear masks or face coverings at indoor and outdoor locations at the Columbia zoo. The mall’s general manager confirmed the same policy will be in place on Friday.
The two popular attractions are following the guidelines set by Columbia’s recently passed ordinance, requiring everyone within the city limits over the age of 10 to cover their face in public during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Not wearing a mask is now a civil infraction with a fine up to $25. Those not complying will likely be given warnings first.
“Masks work,” Mayor Steve Benjamin previously told The State. “This is not a perfect resolution but a step of the right direction.”
There are some exceptions to Riverbanks’ policy.
In addition to children under 10, officials said people with health conditions that are aggravated by face coverings are not required to wear one. People eating or drinking aren’t required to wear a mask, according to Columbia’s ordinance.
Riverbanks already has some other protocols in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Timed ticket reservations are required for visitors to get inside the zoo. Groups are limited to a maximum of eight visitors, and they have to wait for staggered entry times assigned for every half hour, officials said.
Additional hand washing stations and hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed throughout the park.
Since April, all cat, pig and primate zookeepers have been wearing face masks to protect those animals because they are most susceptible to the virus, spokeswoman Susan O’Cain previously told The State.
The zoo is not the only business in Columbia affected by the ordinance. The State reported all restaurants, retail stores, grocery stores, salons and pharmacies must require their employees to wear a face covering at all times while having face-to-face interaction with the public. Any business owner or supervisor not complying with the ordinance could be fined up to $100 for each day of offense.
That includes Columbiana Centre, the Midlands’ largest shopping destination.
The shopping mall in the Harbison area is within Columbia city limits, and General Manager Mackenzie Fontaine confirmed to The State that the ordinance applies to its shoppers and employees.
“We’ve been encouraging mask wearing, and now the ordinance does affect us,” Fontaine said Thursday.
Both the mall and zoo asked customers to follow social distancing guidelines, which recommend people keep at least 6 feet of space between one another.
“We are working diligently to provide a safe, clean environment where people feel comfortable shopping, dining and enjoying their time,” officials said on the Columbiana Centre website.
Other prominent attractions impacted by the ordinance include the Columbia Museum of Art, the South Carolina State Museum, and the Soda City Market, which will reopen for the first time in months this weekend. On Saturday, the market will have health restrictions including added staff, alternate booth spacing, enforcement of guests using personal protective equipment, and no busking or street entertainment.
The West Columbia Meeting Street Artisan Market will also require all visitors to wear a mask, beginning Saturday.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 1:24 PM.
