Alcohol banned at beach to discourage Georgia-Florida party

ST. SIMONS ISALND, Ga. (AP) - Officials are banning alcohol at a Georgia beach for the weekend of the Georgia-Florida football matchup, hoping to discourage big crowds amid a high rate of coronavirus infections.

Commissioners in Glynn County voted 6-to-1 to prohibit possession or consumption of booze on the beach at St. Simons Island on Oct. 29 and 30, news outlets reported.

The island has become a hotspot for Georgia Bulldog fans on their way to the big game in Gainesville, Florida, each fall, with residents derisively referring to the surfside crowds as "frat beach."

Glynn County Commissioner Cap Fendig, who proposed the alcohol ban that was approved Thursday, says he hopes it will reduce the need for police and other public safety personnel at the beach, and therefore limit their potential exposure to the virus.

"We’re drawing the line because our community is not coming up with a Plan B," Fendig said. "I think it’s the right thing to do."

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