COLUMBUS, Ind. — Public health officials across the country, including in Bartholomew County, are urging people to avoid traditional gatherings this weekend so that Super Bowl parties don’t turn into super spreader events.
Typically, the Super Bowl is one of the largest party nights of the year, and Sunday’s game in Tampa, Florida, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is expected to draw a large television audience.
About 58% of adults in the U.S. said they plan to watch the Super Bowl this year, including about one in four who said they plan to watch the game with people they don’t live with, according to a survey by Seton Hall University.
Another survey suggests that 28% of people who said they will watch the Super Bowl plan to throw or attend a party or watch the game at a bar, according to the National Retail Association.
But due to the continued spread of COVID-19, experts are advising people to celebrate the big game differently this year.
“I know that people are ready to return to normality, and Super Bowl Sunday is a tradition for get togethers,” said Dr. Brian Niedbalski, Bartholomew County health officer. “We have to understand the guidelines should still be followed for now. People need to avoid prolonged contact with individuals outside of their own households. If you are going into someone else’s home, masks should be worn and there is still a need for social distancing.”
The warnings from experts come after the U.S. recorded 92,795 deaths from COVID-19 last month, the most deadly month so far, according to the COVID-19 Tracking Project.
In December, another 74,623 people died from the virus, which was an all-time high at the time.
A total of 57 Bartholomew County residents died from COVID-19 in December and January, according to the Indiana State Department of Health.
The warnings also come roughly three months after Los Angeles County health officials said it was “highly likely” that NBA Finals watch parties held by Los Angeles Lakers fans last year contributed to a spike in COVID-19 cases, USA Today reported.
Earlier this week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, advised against holding or attending Super Bowl parties due to the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Fauci said when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should “just lay low and cool it,” The Associated Press reported.
He said during TV interviews earlier this week that now isn’t the time to invite people over for watch parties because of the possibility that they’re infected with the coronavirus and could sicken others.
Locally, COVID-19 continues to circulate, with at least 205 Bartholomew County residents testing positive for the coronavirus over the past week, according to state records.
COVID-19 hospitalizations at Columbus Regional Hospital have started to trend downward in recent weeks, reaching 16 on Wednesday, down from 23 the Wednesday before and 43 on Jan. 13, according to the COVID-19 Community Task Force.
However, local health officials are concerned that large gatherings this weekend might reverse any forward progress.
“Even though the numbers of cases are starting to come down from the peak around the holidays, we know that these larger gatherings, such as Super Bowl parties, are springboards for more outbreaks,” Niedbalski said.
