Moments before Super Bowl LV kicks off on Sunday night, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden made a pre-recorded appearance to honor the more than 463,000 people who died of COVID-19 demanding a moment of silence. instead they were booed by the crowd.
“Before the launch, we wanted to thank all the heroes in the front line of healthcare both for the game and for watching from all over the country. You put yourself in danger to keep others safe. You and your families have treated us with courage, compassion and kindness this year. We wouldn’t have made it without you. Thank you with all my heart.
The President said: “Now, while thanking you and all our essential workers, let us remember that we can all help each other to save lives. Wear masks, stay away from social media, take tests, get vaccinated when it’s your turn and, most importantly, remember all the ones we lost.
“So please join us, the leaders of Kansas City, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the National Football League in a moment of silence for the more than 440,000 Americans who lost their lives in this pandemic and for the loved ones who left behind.”
Instead of a moment of silence, the fans in the crowd were heard booing.
The boos angered many Americans who watched at home, who took to Twitter.
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Moments before the LV Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday night, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden made a pre-recorded appearance to honor the more than 463,000 people who died of COVID-19 demanding a moment of silence.
Instead of a moment of silence, fans in the crowd were heard booing to the screen
“That doesn’t sound like a moment of silence,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Another tweet said: “Was it a roar we heard from the crowd when Biden asked us to have a moment of silence for + 400K lost due to COVID 19? Wow. That says a lot.
“It was the hottest moment ever,” wrote a third user.
“Well, it was an interesting ‘moment of silence,'” another Twitter user wrote.
Some called it the “loudest” and “shortest” moment of silence they had ever heard.
“The more than 20,000 people in the super bowl who do not notice the moment of silence for lives lost in front of COVID … make sense,” said one person.
Lack of silence led some Americans watching from home to go on Twitter to respond to the incident
While the Bidenians were praised by some for showing appreciation for health care and essential workers, others defended the crowd.
Some claimed that the crowd was hiding in Bidens and not the moment of silence.
About 22,000 people attended the Super Bowl on Sunday, 7,500 of whom were health workers, as they watched Tom Brady receive his seventh Super Bowl victory over Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes .
The Super Bowl has come as the nation continues to see a dramatic drop in new cases of the virus – a sign that the rise in infection at holiday gatherings is waning.
The virus has killed more than 463,000 people in the United States, but the seven-day average for new daily cases has risen from 180,489 since Jan. 22 to 125,854 since Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
And while only a limited number of participants were allowed in the Super Bowl, health officials fear the game could sow new cases at just the wrong time.
Earlier this week, the new coronavirus strain that spread rapidly in the United Kingdom was confirmed in Kansas after it appeared in other states.
Other highly contagious variants are of concern to scientists. States are in a vaccination race before newcomers spread and additional strains appear.
“I’m worried about Super Bowl Sunday, honestly. People gather, watch games together. We have already seen outbreaks at football parties, ‘said Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“So I really think we need to look at this and be careful.”
Prior to Sunday’s game, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued an ordinance requiring the wearing of masks outside at several popular gathering places. The order provides that offenders could be fined $ 500 as a “last resort.”
Another ordinance required masks in any indoor location, when social distance is not possible. This would include many bars and restaurants, but not private residences.
The city purchased 150,000 donated masks that officials gave to anyone who needed one before the Super Bowl.