Football fanatics will have to play a little defense in order to enjoy a safe Super Bowl this Sunday, according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
The federal agency says virtual watch parties or spaced-out outdoor gatherings are the safest bets for catching the big game during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sports junkies are reminded to wear masks, maintain social distancing, avoid crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces and wash their hands in order to “make small gatherings safer.”
But if you are venturing out to a gathering with members outside your household, the CDC warns against “shouting, cheering loudly, or singing” as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Clap, stomp your feet, or bring (or provide) hand-held noisemakers instead,” the agency said in its updated “small gatherings” guidelines.
And forget about enjoying the usual game-day buffet — the CDC is advising partygoers to “bring your own food, drinks, plates, cups, utensils, and condiment packets.”
Public health professor Jay Wolfson of the University of South Florida told the Tampa Bay Times that by now everyone should know the ingredients for “a ‘responsible’ Super Bowl get-together.”
“Wear the darn mask, especially when around folks you don’t live with, socially distance, wash your hands, carry sanitizer and use common sense,” he said.
“Put in the discipline this year so that your family and friends can better enjoy next year and beyond without the residue of COVID.
“We need it. We deserve it,” Wolfson said of the Super Bowl. “Let’s not make it the last thing we ever do.”
