Tampa mayor to issue outdoor mask order around Super Bowl LV. At least in busy areas

Wearing a mask outdoors will be required during the Super Bowl LV festivities — at least in some heavily trafficked areas, Mayor Jane Castor announced late Wednesday.

Castor broke the news on her FaceBook Live show as she traded friendly barbs and banter with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

“We’re passing an additional mask order that will require masks outdoors in those areas that we expect will be densely populated with Super Bowl fans,” Castor said in response to an emailed question from the Tampa Bay Times about what the city was planning to do to keep the nation’s highest- profile game from becoming a super-spreader event.

Details about where the order would apply, for how long and if there would be any penalties for non-compliance remained scarce.

Castor will issue an executive order Thursday that will shed light on the measure to limit the spread of the virus, said spokeswoman Ashley Bauman.

NFL volunteers would assist in enforcing the order as well as handing out masks, Bauman said.

No Fan Experience tickets left

The NFL today announced that the Super Bowl Experience has reached capacity nearly two days before opening to the public in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park in Tampa.

Reservations are required to visit the free fan experience. It includes activities, exhibits, shopping and a chance to see the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Reservations were made through the NFL One Pass app that launched last week. The app allowed fans to reserve a time slot between Friday and Feb. 6.

No drones

Starting Friday, no-drone zones are in effect for parts of Tampa set aside for the big game and associated events.

No-drone zones have been declared in Super Bowl cities before, including Atlanta in 2019, when six drones flying too close to the throngs were confiscated in the days before the game, according to reports.

This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 5:06 PM.