Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti claimed that he held his breath and lowered his mask briefly in defending a photograph he posed for last weekend with legendary NBA player Magic Johnson and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.
Garcetti, a Democrat, said he took “personal responsibility” for the photo as he spoke during a press conference Wednesday that highlighted the security and pandemic-related safety measures for the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium near LA.
“And if it makes you [a reporter] and everyone else happy, or even the photographs with people where literally I’m holding my breath for two seconds, I won’t even do that,” Garcetti added, according to Deadline.
COVID RULES NEVER APPLIED TO DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS IN CALIFORNIA
“I wore my mask the entire game. When people ask for a photograph, I hold my breath. I put it here, and people can see that. There’s a 0% chance of infection from that,” Garcetti also said in a video posted to social media showing him holding up a mask.
He was holding his mask in his hand while posing for the photo with Johnson.
NEW: After being seen maskless at NFL game, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tells the media he wasn’t breathing.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 3, 2022
The photos, which were taken last weekend at SoFi Stadium during the NFC championship game, were posted on social media by Johnson and show him with Garcetti and others. No one is wearing a mask despite a local COVID-19 health order for “Mega Events” that covers indoor events with more than 500 attendees and outdoor events with more than 5,000 attendees, only listing exemptions for when people are eating and drinking.
Hanging out at SoFi Stadium today! pic.twitter.com/XfotiRLGz9
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 31, 2022
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who also attended the game, was also photographed with Johnson without a mask. Newsom encouraged California residents to still wear masks unless eating or drinking.
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“I was very judicious yesterday — very judicious. You’ll see the photo that I did take. Magic was kind enough, generous enough, to ask me for a photograph, and in my left hand’s the mask, and I took the photo,” Newsom said Monday, according to Deadline. “The rest of the time, I wore it as we all should, not when I had a glass of water, and I encourage everybody else to do so.”
The game in question saw the LA Rams beat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17, advancing the Rams to the Super Bowl where they will play the Cincinnati Bengals on Feb. 13. Fans attending the game will be given KN95 masks, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer has said.
Earlier in the pandemic, in late 2020, Newsom caught flack and apologized for dining at The French Laundry, a restaurant in California, after photos of him dining out and not wearing a mask appeared online and went viral.
“I want to apologize to you because I need to preach and practice, not just preach and not practice. And I’ve done my best to do that,” Newsom said. “We’re all human. We all fall short sometimes.”
It later emerged that Breed, a fellow Democrat, attended dinner at the same restaurant just one day later.
