Recently, Dr. Anthony Fauci frowned at outdoor football gatherings. After photos have surfaced that feature crowded stadiums filled with fans of college football, Fauci criticized the attendees’ behavior as not very “smart.”
In the past few weeks, some college football teams have announced vaccine mandates for attendees, or they have required attendees to produce a recent negative COVID test for entry. However, other entities currently do not have any requirements regarding mandated masks, vaccines, or COVID tests, though they have continued permitting large congregations within the stadiums.
“Big crowds, in stadiums,” a CNN host ominously informed Fauci, adding that it was unclear “who was required to be vaccinated.” The CNN host also referenced the various recommendations for mask wearing, though the majority of individuals in the photographs were not wearing masks.
“Is this kind of behavior going to get us on the other side of this?” the CNN host pressed, “or if we keep doing this, are we going to be kind of stuck in outbreak mode?”
Fauci replied that photographs from the football stadiums suggest being potentially “stuck in outbreak mode” in the future, though he also added that he believes people will continue “getting voluntarily vaccinated”on a more frequent basis. For individuals who still resist vaccination, Fauci also believes that local vaccine mandates will become more common.
Fauci went on to detail the various settings and organizations that may require vaccine mandates, including colleges and universities, as well as other major events in which people gather, including sports, travel, and several other activities.
Fauci envisions a future wherein “the rule is going to be if you want to participate, you get vaccinated.” However, for those who do not become vaccinated, Fauci envisions the response to be, “sorry, you’re not going to be able to do [a given activity].”
“I don’t think it’s very smart,” Fauci proclaimed in response to enthusiastic football attendees’ mask-less presence. He acknowledges that “outdoors is always better than indoors,” though he also criticizes the close proximity of “such a congregate setting of people.”
Per Fauci, “congregate settings” should always require a mask, especially indoors.
