Health officials worry about ‘super spreader’ events ahead of Sunday’s big game

SEATTLE — With the Super Bowl ahead on Sunday, health officials are worried about the potential for “super spreader events.”

Governor Jay Inslee may have put it best when he said on Thursday that “we don’t want to see the virus win the Super Bowl.”

Inslee said currently, there isn’t enough COVID-19 vaccine for everyone so he’s going to try to include essential workers of all kinds in the next round of vaccinations.

Until that happens, he hopes people take measures while watching Sunday’s game, which means virtual gatherings, text streams and other types of connections to friends.

And if you do plan on having a gathering, you should do so with social distancing measures in place and even watch the game outside.

“We know this is a tradition to have a whole bunch of people yell in the same room, but that’s really too dangerous this year and we are encouraging people to protect themselves on Super Bowl Sunday,” Inlsee said.

Inslee congratulated the Seahawks on being the only NFL team that didn’t have a COVID-19 case.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest guidance says the safest way for people to watch Super Bowl LV is to do so at home and only with other people who live under the same roof.

“Attending large gathers including the Super Bowl increases your risk of getting and spreading COVID-19,” the guidance said. “The safest way to watch the Super Bowl this year is at home with people you live with.”

>>Get more coverage of the big game in our Road to Tampa section

For those people attending the game in person or another large game-related activity such as a watch party the CDC advised people not to chant or cheer, but rather stomp, clap or use hand-held noisemakers, CNN reported.

Cox Media Group