Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is doubling down on his decision not to wear a mask at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
“Someone said, ‘Hey, you were at the Super Bowl without a mask’ … but how the hell am I going to be able to drink a beer with a mask on? Come on. I had to watch the Bucs win,” DeSantis said, according to Politico’s Marc Caputo.
DeSantis mentioned a photo of him sitting at the Super Bowl sitting close to someone while not wearing a mask.
Caught DeSantis before he left an event and he brought up this picture on his own by saying, "Someone said, 'hey, you were at the Super Bowl without a mask' … but how the hell am I going to be able to drink a beer with a mask on? Come on. I had to watch the Bucs win." https://t.co/OEDAeW2eGM
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) February 8, 2021
Dr. Anthony Fauci advised Americans against gathering for the Super Bowl, as IJR reported.
“Enjoy the game, watch it on television, but do it with the immediate members of your family, the people in your household. As much fun as it is to get together on a big Super Bowl party now is not the time to do that,” Fauci said.
He added, “Watch the game and enjoy it, but do it with your family or with people that are in your household.”
Twenty-five thousand spectators were allowed to attend the Super Bowl, including 7,500 healthcare workers, as IJR reported.
Fauci approved of the number of fans “as long as they wear masks and as long as there’s physical distancing. That’s the point.”
He continued, “You can’t have people (sitting close) now given the level of infection, but mask wearing and limited capacity seating I think is reasonable since it’s an outdoor event which really, really makes a difference.”
Buccaneers fans flooded the streets of Tampa, Florida, after the team took the title. Several of them seemingly ignored advice from health officials to wear masks and practice social distancing.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.