The Super Bowl has always been a source of excitement in the days leading up to the biggest football game of the year, but this year’s game has become a source of concern for local officials who fear that resulting gatherings will continue to spread the coronavirus.
“We worry every day because we continue to see people congregating and socializing,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said. “It’s a quinceañera, a wedding, it’s a family pachanga, it’s one thing or the other. We know that that’s the way this disease gets transmitted.”
Cortez, who himself became infected with the virus, said he knows from experience just how easily the coronavirus can be transmitted.
“I know more than anybody because I was being sheltered in my house,” Cortez said. “I was doing everything through Zoom, washing my hands, everything that I could. My daughter comes in one day, no symptoms whatsoever, always wearing a mask. She took it off and we had dinner together, and I ended up getting it. This thing is very, very contagious, and the more people gather in close proximity to one another, the more in danger you are of being infected.”
A recent trend in growing numbers of positive cases in the county has created concern about another spike, fluctuating this week from the 700s to the 800s, then reaching the 1,000s for the first time since July 2020 before going back down to the 500s the day after.
However, Hidalgo County Health Authority Dr. Ivan Melendez said those numbers are more indicative of the increased rate of testing.
He said a more accurate depiction of the state of COVID-19 in the county would be obtained by examining the number of people in county hospitals with the virus and the number of related deaths and how those numbers correlate with the number of COVID-19 tests administered by the county.
Melendez added that the testing numbers may not reflect tests administered by private doctors and individuals who self-test.
With that being said, he still shares Cortez’s concern about Sunday’s big game.
“That’s actually one of those red flags — one of those events that we look for,” Melendez said. “Any reason that people will use to congregate, whether it’s Halloween, Christmas, New Year, voting, protesting, Super Bowl parties. When you mix the Super Bowl with alcohol, and when you look at the age group of people that are really hyped up about the Super Bowl — you know in McAllen, if it’s not the Dallas Cowboys, very few people care. People that do the Super Bowl parties tend to be younger people that are barbecuing and hanging out, looking for reasons to party.”
He also said that despite the numerous restrictions instilled by the county and the state, there has not been enough enforcement of those restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.
“I think that we’re in a very cautionary moment with the Super Bowl coming up,” Melendez said. “I believe that no matter what you tell people, very few are listening. I’ve been very surprised how people continue to disregard social distancing. That’s one of the reasons why the vaccine, hopefully, has been so promising. It’s an absolute truth — you get the vaccine, you get protection.”
Cortez said he has immense faith in the medical community and the strides made in combating the virus.
If residents plan to gather for the Super Bowl, Cortez hopes they will “go with science” and continue to follow safety precautions, including wearing facial coverings, sanitizing, and opting to watch the game in an outdoor setting.
“These are not easy times, and the problems we’re having are not unique to Hidalgo County,” Cortez said. “We’re all suffering through this, but hopefully our people will come to realize that this is an investment in ourselves. Taking the precautions is an investment in ourselves.”
