Thousands of people were observed lining the streets of Tampa Bay, Florida, and defying mask mandates ahead of Super Bowl LV, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday evening.
Video showed packed roadways and restaurants in Ybor City in the early morning, despite a late January order from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who extended the city’s mask mandate and required face coverings outdoors. The ordinance, which will remain in effect until Feb. 13, was designed to host a “safe” Super Bowl in a city “that takes this pandemic seriously.”
The gathering follows President Biden’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, advising to the public to “lay low and cool it” ahead of the 6:30 p.m. football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ybor City. #SuperBowl Eve. 1:28am pic.twitter.com/Dl3m0Cl7aH
— Luis Santana (@LuisSantana) February 7, 2021
“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,” he 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.”
“As difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it,” Fauci told NBC earlier in the week.
Florida has been a haven for lax coronavirus restrictions. In late September, Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted all virus regulations imposed on businesses since the inception of the pandemic.
“Every business has the right to operate,” the Republican said at the time. “Some of the locals can do reasonable regulations. But you can’t just say no.”
