Officials highlight mask requirement for fans at Super Bowl

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) and other officials on Wednesday emphasized that Super Bowl fans attending the event needed to abide by mask requirements despite a recent controversy in which photos showed the Los Angeles mayor flouting the rules last weekend. 

The comments were made at a press conference on Wednesday. 

The senior vice president for campus and facility operations for SoFi Stadiums, Russ Simons, said that “the staff is on hand to remind people to mask up” at the Super Bowl, and warned people against trying to find loopholes to a Los Angeles County Health mandate that requires people at indoor events to wear masks unless they are eating or drinking, The Associated Press reported.

The statements from officials come after Garcetti, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D) were seen not wearing masks during the NFL’s Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. 

Photos that showed the California officials maskless had been circulated by NBA legend Magic Johnson on Sunday.

“I wore my mask the entire game and when people asked for a photograph, I hold my breath and I put [my mask] here and people could see that,” Garcetti said at the press conference Wednesday, holding up his mask. “There’s a zero percent chance of infection from that.”

Erin Mellon, the communications director for Newsom, said in a statement that the California governor acknowledged he had taken off his mask “for a few moments.”

“The Governor acknowledged that he took off his mask for a few moments during Sunday’s game. He continues to encourage all Californians to do their part to get through the pandemic and this latest surge, including wearing a mask and getting vaccinated,” Mellon said.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said late last month that fans attending the Super Bowl would be given free KN95 masks.

The Hill has reached out to Breed’s office for comment.

The Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 13 between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals.