CHARLOTTE, N.C. — COVID-19 data in the Carolinas is starting to trend in the right direction — but health leaders warn Super Bowl gatherings could be super spreader events. State and county health leaders urged people to stay home to watch the big game and stay with people they live with.
Nefelie's owner Gus Stamouls said Super Bowl weekend is usually great for business.
“Any game like that is extra income,” Stamouls said.
Because of the curfew this year, he said they’re not even going to open.
“With the curfew at 9 p.m. there’s no point of opening for the Super Bowl," Stamouls said. "You're not going to send everybody home in the 3rd quarter.”
Stamouls said it’s more of a kick in the teeth knowing people may still just go to house parties instead.
“It just frustrates me that I can’t be open, have those people here,” Stamouls said.
Stamouls said he feels it’d be a safer option comparatively.
“We sanitize every 10 to 15 min, we have better ventilation here," Stamouls said. "But when you close yourself inside a house and you're having a party, there’s a lot more risk there.”
“Every time we do have something like this there always is a spike, be it a holiday, Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving,” Fauci said.
Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris said COVID-19 numbers in the community are finally headed in the right direction.
“Our numbers are coming down but we’re still at higher levels than we’ve been since the beginning of the pandemic,” Harris said.
Harris said going to a party loses sight of the bigger picture.
“Instant gratification," Harris said. "Let's have a Super Bowl party, let's do things we normally do. The potential for exposure just goes through the roof.”
It's why Harris said they are urging people to sit this weekend out.
“The intent of asking people not to do this for this Super Bowl is so as we move into the spring if our numbers continue to come down things can open up more,” Harris said.