Dr. Anthony Fauci is encouraging people to watch the Super Bowl, he just doesn’t want you having a party to do it.
During a Wednesday appearance on Today, the director of the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Diseases said that large gatherings centered around holidays and special events have led to a large increase in the number of coronavirus cases across the country.
He fears that Super Bowl parties could have the same effect.
Fauci said:
Every time we have something like this, there always is a spike, be it a holiday, Christmas, New Year’s Thanksgiving. The Super Bowl is a big deal in the United States. 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 at a big Super Bowl party now is not the time to do that. Watch the game and enjoy it, but do it with your family or with people in your household.
While the coronavirus has indeed spiked in several states across the country, it’s notable that states that have enacted the strictest social distancing measures, states such as New York and California, have not always fared better than states with fewer restrictions.
For example, as of Wednesday morning, California, a state that has employed the strictest social distancing measures, had nearly a million more cases and nearly 4,000 more deaths than Texas, a state that has been significantly less restrictive.
Florida, perhaps the most successful model for dealing with the coronavirus, has had far fewer restrictions than any other “large state” and has fared far better than California and Texas.
Does California have more people than Texas and Florida? Sure. But, if lockdowns and severe social distancing were the answer, wouldn’t the numbers be better than that?