Florida mayor on 50 Cent Super Bowl party: ‘It’s not safe or smart’
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman says Friday's gathering at a private airport hangar 'may end up costing someone a lot more than 50 cent.'
The mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida criticized rapper 50 Cent for hosting a party in his city in advance of the Super Bowl.
“This isn’t how we should be celebrating the Super Bowl. It’s not safe or smart. It’s stupid,” Mayor Rick Kriseman wrote on Twitter. “We’re going to take a very close look at this, and it may end up costing someone a lot more than 50 cent.”
The party took place on Friday, and according to an account from TMZ, most of its attendees were not wearing a mask.
The event was held at a private airport hangar, where a limited capacity was expected in order to encourage social distancing. However, the report notes that a large crowd partied to a performance by the rapper and music by DJ Fresh, a Tampa native.
Coronavirus expert Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke out by encouraging Americans to limit their Super Bowl celebrations, warning that mixing households could result in “mini super spreader” events.
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“Enjoy the Super Bowl, but don’t do it with a large crowd of people in your house in a place when it’s cold and you don’t have good ventilation,” Fauci said. “It’s a perfect setup to have a mini super spreader event in your own house. Don’t do that for now. There will be other Super Bowls.”
Approximately 25,000 fans attended the Super Bowl inside Raymond James Stadium. Nearly one-third of those in attendance were vaccinated health care workers. Everyone who attended was given a KN95 mask.
Despite the warnings and some safety precautions, Tampa still saw a number of Super Bowl events. DJ Steve Aoki hosted a party at The Godfrey Hotel. Producer Diplo and 50 Cent held another party Saturday night.
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After the game on Sunday, thousands of revelers took to the street to celebrate the Buccaneers win. Most were maskless, and many were intoxicated.
Prior to the Super Bowl, Tampa instituted a mask mandate for indoor and outdoor events related to the big game.
As of Saturday, Florida had reported over 6,600 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state numbers total to over 1.77 million — with close to 28,000 deaths.
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