'Just lay low and cool it': Fauci warns against Super Bowl parties

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top infectious disease expert doesn't want the Super Bowl to turn into a super spreader.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, says when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should "just lay low and cool it."

He said during TV interviews Wednesday that now isn’t the time to invite people over for watch parties because of the possibility that they’re infected with the coronavirus and could sicken others.

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Big events like Sunday’s game in Tampa, Florida, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are always a cause for concern over the potential for virus spread, Fauci said.

A view of the pirate ship Jose Gasparilla ahead of Super Bowl LV on February 1, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

"You don't want parties with people that you haven’t had much contact with," he told NBC's "Today" show. "You just don’t know if they’re infected, so, as difficult as that is, at least this time around, just lay low and cool it."

The NFL has capped game attendance at 22,000 people because of the pandemic and citywide coronavirus mandates.