Speaking to press on Monday, Tampa Democrat Mayor Jane Castor said that the Tampa police department will "handle" those "bad actors" who didn't comply with masking regulations.
"Everyone knows that simply wearing a mask dramatically reduces the spread of COVID-19," she said, surrounded by masked officials, "And I'm proud to say that the majority of individuals that I saw out and about enjoying the festivities associated with the Super Bowl were complying.
"Y'know we had tens of thousands of people all over the city. Downtown, out by the stadium, Ybor City, down here in Channel Side, and very very few incidents. So I'm proud of our community but those few bad actors will be identified and the Tampa Police Department will handle it."
Later during the conference, she said, "There just has to be that level of personal responsibility, you can supply everyone with a mask, advise them of the science behind it, and expect that they are going to abide by the mask orders. Again, you're gonna find a few that don't. The majority that I saw were wearing masks."
CNN and other news outlets took up a shaming campaign with regard to maskless revelers in and around Tampa Bay during the Super Bowl, with some blaming Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady for his lack of mask. Others simply took aim at those in the vicinity who celebrated without covering their faces.
There is no state-wide mask mandate in place in Florida, as Governor Ron DeSantis has refused to implement widespread orders that would infringe on the rights of Floridians. He has been derided for his approach in the national press, but the coronavirus case counts in Florida are no worse than the most locked down in the US, such as California.
DeSantis said that he personally did not see it appropriate to wear a mask at the Super Bowl, since it would make it way harder to "drink a beer with a mask on."
Caught DeSantis before he left an event and he brought up this picture on his own by saying, "Someone said, 'hey, you were at the Super Bowl without a mask' ... but how the hell am I going to be able to drink a beer with a mask on? Come on. I had to watch the Bucs win." https://t.co/OEDAeW2eGM
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) February 8, 2021
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