CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — While the number of Tampa Bay and Kansas City fans don't come anywhere close to the number of Dallas Cowboys in Corpus Christi, the Super Bowl still is an event which brings people together locally, no matter who's playing.
However, several Corpus Christi residents said they consciously made the decision to downsize their Super Bowl plans — and guest lists — this year.
Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium, the site of Super Bowl LV, can hold almost 66,000 people, but is only allowing 25,000 in today – the smallest attendance in the game's history. What about you? Are you hosting a party, and, if so, are you making any changes to your guest list?
— KRIS 6 News (@KRIS6News) February 7, 2021
"This year, it will just be myself, the kids, and he’s having a couple of friends over,” said Amelia Glover, gesturing to her son. “We’re in a pandemic. So, we’re just trying to keep everybody safe and try to keep it from spreading.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its “small gatherings” page, suggesting safer ways to enjoy the Super Bowl this year.
Maria Alvarez, another Corpus Christi resident, knew early-on that she would have to adjust her plans.
“It’s just best to stay home and take care of each other,” said Alvarez, who considers herself elderly. “I need to also take care of myself, That’s the main reason I continue wearing the mask and continue to social distance and wash my hands — put on sanitizer.”
Another resident, who asked to just go by “Chris,” was one of the exceptions.
We found him sitting at The Farm — a small restaurant-and-bar extension of The Barn Drive Thru on South Alameda. He was sitting with the owners, and mentioned the challenges their business had encountered.
“When your friends own a place, you support your friends,” Chris said, pointing out the adjustments the business has made due to the pandemic. “I mean, it’s got to happen because of the time we’re in now. But to be able to do that on a Super Bowl Sunday and just make it work — that’s what we’re trying to do.”
KRIS 6 News reached out to the Nueces County-city of Corpus Christi Public Health District to see if they expect an uptick in the amount of positive COVID-19 cases related to Super Bowl parties, but as of Sunday night, we had not received a response.