A CNN reporter appeared shocked by the maskless crowds gathering around Tampa as the Buccaneers took on the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We are at the Pour House in Tampa, which is a very lively bar and restaurant, which is why I am double-masked,” journalist Randi Kaye reported. “But if you take a look here at the scene behind me, you can see that a lot of people are here, they’re gathered, they’re already cheering for their favorite team.”
Kaye did give the crowd credit for being outside but appeared unhappy to see so many people from different households in the same place.
“They’re outside, so it’s considered to be safer, and they are allowed to be here,” Kaye said. “They’re only supposed to take their masks off while they’re eating or drinking. But you can see quite a large crowd. Certainly not all in one single family or one single household that are mixing, but that is allowed here in the city of Tampa right now.”
The report then pivoted to a scene from the night before, where many people can be seen on the streets of Tampa’s Ybor City neighborhood strolling around seemingly unworried about the pandemic.
“But let me show you a scene from last night in an area called Ybor City. We have some video to show you,” Kaye said. “You can see on the streets of Ybor City, this massive crowd. Again, not many of them wearing a mask. This is a very popular spot where people go to bars and restaurants. There were some police there, but we’re unsure about citations. I spoke to the Tampa Police, and I asked them, ‘What are you doing about this?’ Because a lot were very concerned. Apparently, the dance floors were full, and that’s, right now, not allowed during the pandemic.”
Double masked CNN reporter @randikayeCNN aghast at maskless, drunk Super Bowl crowds in Tampa: I asked the Police ‘What Are You Doing About This?’ pic.twitter.com/A5RWK0TSVP
— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) February 8, 2021
Some users on social media thought Kaye was going overboard with her concern.
CNN reporter determined to get Super Bowl revelers in trouble with the law for not wearing masks.
Media’s tattle tale culture reaching new heights every day. https://t.co/M2sFdlw9qx
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) February 8, 2021
Thats not NY or CA! FL must not have got the memo to be paranoid! Social conditioning didn’t work!
— Tommy Houghton (@thoughton6) February 8, 2021
“CNN 0 – Freedom 1,” another user quipped.
“Double masked Karen has meltdown on live TV,” one user joked.
Others were sympathetic to Kaye’s concern, with one commenter even going as far as to say this would likely be the last Super Bowl “many” of the people gathered ever get to watch.
I hope the many of these people in Tampa enjoyed what is likely to be the last Super Bowl they will ever watch https://t.co/WBjayZ1MMG
— Andrew Carothers (@ajcarothers) February 8, 2021
“All those people and their grandparents will be dead by tomorrow,” one user said in agreement.
“This is how Florida has been handling the pandemic like it’s not there,” another user said.
“Stupid Spreader Event in a Stupid Spreader State,” one user called the scene.
The scene was reminiscent of a Florida grocery store last week, where a viral video showed many of the customers and employees not wearing masks.
As #Flordia fights community spread of COVID on a massive scale, this is a 15-second snapshot of a supermarket in Naples. Many employees and customers- even older ones- with no masks on inside. Store sign outside cites “medical exemptions,” we can’t ask questions. @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/rNUSOPLjeB
— Sam Brock (@SamBrockNBC) February 3, 2021
The video prompted strong reactions on social media, including a doctor who said in a since-deleted tweet, “Naples, Florida. Let’em die. I’m so tired of these people. No vaccines for y’all.”
