IT’S a big weekend for Los Angeles as the LA Rams will vie to win on their home field as Super Bowl LVI descends at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 13.
But ahead of the game, county officials are reminding residents and visitors to follow coronavirus safety measures.
The LA County Public Health has advised residents to take several steps in being safe as they watch the big game, whether attending in-person, gathering with friends and family or watching at a local entertainment venue like a bar or restaurant.
The best way to stay protected from severe illness from COVID-19 before the game is to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as eligible, officials are reminding.
Smaller gatherings are recommended, as mixing with different households increases the risk of infection, Public Health said. People should also gather outdoors, if possible, and if it can be done safely, move the TV outside or plan to serve food and drinks outdoors. If having an outdoor Super Bowl gathering is not possible, it is recommended that organizers improve airflow, including using fans or portable air cleaners, opening windows, or running the air conditioning.
“As we welcome NFL fans to beautiful LA, we remind everyone to be cautious and continue sensible safety protections to help prevent exposure and transmission. Over the past two years, we’ve done a good job of taking care of each other and using the tools available to reduce spread of this deadly virus. We can do the same for Super Bowl LVI. Whether you are gathering at the stadium, a bar or restaurant, or at someone’s home, let’s rely on each other to stay safe by taking those small steps that make a big difference. Wear a high-quality mask, get tested before gathering, gather outdoors whenever possible, and get boosted or vaccinated this week if eligible,” Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health, said.
Residents should also consider getting a rapid test as close to the game as possible, especially when gathering indoors with people who are unvaccinated and/or are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Rapid tests, including over the counter (OTC) self-tests, provide a result in 15-30 minutes. Residents can also find a testing site in LA County at https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/.
Wearing an upgraded mask (including respirators such as an N95, KN95, or KF94) also adds a stronger layer of protection, especially if gathering indoors or in crowded spaces with unvaccinated guests, individuals with unknown vaccine status, or individuals who are at higher risk of severe illness.
According to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, wearing a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings was associated with significantly lower odds of a positive COVID-19 test result compared with never wearing a face mask or respirator in these settings. Additionally, the CDC found that wearing N95/KN95 respirators provided the best protection and was associated with 83% lower odds of a positive test result compared with not wearing any face mask or respirator. The next best protection was provided by a surgical mask with a 66% lower odds of a positive test result compared with not wearing a mask.
These findings show that consistently wearing a face mask or respirator in indoor public settings is associated with a reduced risk of infection. This is a particularly important layer of protection to use when there are large numbers of breakthrough cases, as we’ve seen with the Omicron variant and during times of high transmission.
If anyone is ill or has a positive COVID-19 test, they should stay home and not attend the game or gathering. Instead, they can join in virtually, or watch the game at home to keep your family and friends safe and healthy, Public Health said.
Those attending events at SoFi stadium or at the Super Bowl Experience at the Convention Center will need to wear a mask and verify their vaccination status or provide a negative test result prior to entering these events.
To date, LA County has reported a total of 2,746,866 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County. The current positivity rate is 4.7%. n
