Moments before the start of Super Bowl LV 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 from COVID-19, asking for a moment of silence – instead, they were booed by the crowd.
‘Before the kickoff, we wanted to thank all the health heroes on the front line, both in the game and watching across the country. You put yourself at risk to keep the rest of us safe. You and your families have led us through this year with courage, compassion and kindness. We couldn’t have done it without you. With all my heart, thank you.
The President said: ‘Now, while we thank you and all of our essential workers, let us remember that we can all do our part to save lives. Wear masks, stay socially aloof, get tested, get vaccinated when your turn comes and, above all, let’s remember all those we lost.
‘So please, join us, Kansas City Chiefs, 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 their loved ones who were left behind. ‘
Instead of a moment of silence, fans in the crowd were heard booing.
The boos infuriated many Americans watching at home who adopted Twitter.
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Moments before the start of Super Bowl LV 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 from COVID-19, asking for a moment of silence
Instead of a moment of silence, fans in the crowd were heard booing towards the screen
‘It didn’t sound like a moment of silence,’ one person tweeted.
Another tweeted: ‘Was it a vanity that I heard from the crowd when Biden asked us for a moment of silence for + 400K lost due to COVID 19? Wow. That speaks volumes. ‘
“This was the loudest moment of silence ever,” wrote a third user.
“Well, it was an interesting ‘moment of silence’,” wrote another Twitter user.
Some called it the “loudest” and “shortest” moment of silence they have ever heard.
“The more than 20,000 people in the super bowl who did not observe the moment of silence for the lives lost to COVID in any way … make sense,” said one person.
The lack of silence led some Americans who watched from home to use Twitter to respond to the incident
While the Bidens were praised by some for showing their appreciation for health workers and essentials, others defended the crowd.
Some claimed that the crowd was booing at Bidens and not in the moment of silence.
About 22,000 people attended the Super Bowl on Sunday, with 7,500 of them working in healthcare while watching Tom Brady receive his seventh Super Bowl victory against Kansas City star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Super Bowl came at a time when the country continues to see a dramatic drop in new cases of viruses – a sign that the rise in infection on holidays is slowing.
The virus killed more than 463,000 people in the U.S., but the seven-day continuous average for new daily cases went from 180,489 on January 22 to 125,854 on 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 that the game could sow new cases at just the wrong time.
Just this week, the new coronavirus strain that spread rapidly in the UK was confirmed in Kansas after appearing in several other states.
Other highly contagious variants are also of concern to scientists. States are in a race to vaccinate before newcomers spread and additional strains emerge.
‘I’m concerned about Sunday’s Super Bowl, honestly. People get together and watch the games together. We’ve seen outbreaks of football parties, ‘said Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
‘So I really think we need to watch this and be careful.’
Before Sunday’s game, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor instituted a law requiring masks to be worn outside at various popular meeting places. The order states that offenders can be fined $ 500 as a ‘last resort’.
Another law required masks at any indoor location when social distance was not possible. This would include many bars and restaurants, but not private homes.
The city purchased 150,000 donated masks that the authorities distributed to anyone who needed one before the Super Bowl.