Dr. Anthony Fauci cautioned against watch parties for the country’s biggest sporting event of the year, warning that they could lead to the spread of COVID-19.
Fauci, who is the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cautioned against gathering to watch the faceoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game itself will feature 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers and 14,500 additional fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
While the stadium itself is trying to keep people separated in the stands and wearing masks, Super Bowl parties for those at home should be a no-go, Fauci noted.
“Absolutely not,” Fauci said Wednesday on ABC’s Good Morning America when host George Stephanopoulos asked him about the gatherings. “I mean, watch the Super Bowl on TV, enjoy it, have a party in your house with your family, with the people who are there.”
“You don’t want parties with people that you haven’t had much contact with, you just don’t know if they’re infected,” he continued. “So as difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it.”
Sunday’s game is historic for several reasons, including that it is the first time that a team — the Buccaneers — will play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. It will also be the smallest-attended Super Bowl yet, with the previous smallest crowd being the first in 1967, which featured nearly 62,000 attendees.
The Chiefs are the defending champions and beat the San Francisco 49ers 31 to 20 in 2020. The Buccaneers, which features longtime New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, have only appeared in a Super Bowl once in 2002 when they defeated the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs are the slight favorites to win, with a -3.5 spread.
