Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging Americans to watch the Super Bowl within their immediate households due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying large events could become “mini super spreader” events.
Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told MSNBC’s Ari Melber on Friday night that “you don’t need to have 20 people to enjoy” Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“Enjoy the Super Bowl, but don’t do it with a large crowd of people in your house in a place when it’s cold and you don’t have good ventilation,” Fauci said. “It’s a perfect setup to have a mini super spreader event in your own house. Don’t do that for now. There will be other Super Bowls.”
He urged people to stay at home and watch the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as Covid-19 could spread within a group of guests.
“If you don’t know what the status of a person is vis-à-vis whether they’re infected or not, you’re really putting yourself and your family in danger,” Fauci said.
“As difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it,” Fauci told NBC earlier in the week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised that if people do have small gatherings with others outside their household, outdoor gatherings are safer in terms of spreading the virus than indoor ones. The CDC has said that both small and large gatherings can increase the risk of contracting and transmitting Covid-19.
The Super Bowl, which is being held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., will have attendance capped at 22,000 due to the pandemic.
Among those allowed to attend, about 7,500 will be vaccinated health care workers. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has mandated mask-wearing outdoors around the stadium and in other areas of the city, and everyone attending the game will get a KN95 mask.
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Originally published at https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/06/super-bowl-fauci-coronavirus-466515 on .
