Tampa mayor addresses maskless fans after Super Bowl

TAMPA, FLA. » So much for the mayor’s order requiring masks at Super Bowl parties. Videos went viral on social media, showing throngs of mostly maskless fans and packed sports bars as the clock inside Raymond James Stadium ticked down on a hometown Super Bowl win for the Buccaneers.

“It is a little frustrating because we have worked so hard,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said during a Feb. 8 news conference with the Super Bowl Host Committee. “At this point in dealing with COVID-19, there is a level of frustration when you see that.”

Some 200,000 masks were handed out ahead of the game, and “a majority” of people and businesses followed the rules, she said.

Hours later, during another news conference, Castor’s remarks shifted, saying that at least among those people that she saw celebrating, most of them were masked.

“I’m proud to say the majority of individuals that I saw out and about enjoying the festivities associated with the Super Bowl were complying,” she said. “They understood their level of personal responsibility and they were doing the right thing. I’m very proud of that.”

Even the White House weighed in.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about whether President Joe Biden was concerned over Tampa fans taking to the streets following the Buccaneers Super Bowl.

“He is of course concerned when there are pictures and photos — we all are — that show many, many people without masks in close distance with one another at the height of a pandemic,” she said.

To meet coronavirus protocols, the NFL capped the crowd at under 25,000 in a stadium that normally holds some 66,000 fans, and required masks.

But outside the stadium, crowds of fans who weren’t wearing masks or practicing social distancing could be seen celebrating the Buccaneers’ 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 7. Folks cheered, crammed into bars and hugged in several hotspots around the city — and swarmed the streets — all without masks.

In hopes of curbing so-called super-spreader events, Castor had signed a largely voluntary executive order requiring people wear face coverings during the Super Bowl festivities, even while they’re outdoors. She pleaded with people to celebrate safely, noting the city could issue fines of up to $500.

It wasn’t clear on Feb. 8 how many citations the city handed out, if any.

The mayor noted that there had been no major spikes in COVID-19 cases following the fall Stanley Cup win by the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team and outdoor celebrations surrounding that victory.

“We didn’t see those spikes after the Stanley Cup events,” she said.

Local orders were overridden last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose executive order made it difficult for local governments to enforce mask policies because it prohibits them from fining people who don’t comply. Florida has never had a mask policy.