As COVID-19 cases spike, public health officials advise people to stay home for Thanksgiving. But some people are getting ready to travel to Arizona anyway. Not for the holiday, but for soccer.
A soccer tournament scheduled in Phoenix for the day after Thanksgiving is expected to bring a number of out-of-state teams. The event will have a number of safety protocols, but some wonder if it should take place at all.
"So I think it’s definitely concerning, you know not only these events are still occurring but so many are coming to Arizona because we’re allowing them and welcoming them. So I do worry that we’ll see little clusters related to that especially if you have local teams playing you know teams from California or neighboring states,” said Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist with the University of Arizona and George Mason University.
Popescu said that sporting events can be coronavirus super spreader events, even outdoors.
The event will bring in teams from other states, some of which have strict COVID-19 protocols.
"What we have really seen from sporting events is that they bring a lot of people together," Popescu said. "They’re yelling, they’re shouting, they’re in close proximity, it is high risk even if it’s outside. So if a state is saying we’re not having these tournaments, moving to another state isn’t eliminating the problem, it’s just transferring, you know, who gets to deal with it.”
Popescu said that spectators and others who attend sporting events contribute to the spread of the virus, not just the athletes.
University of Arizona Medical School Professor Dr. Shad Marvasti says this is an unwise decision by local leaders, including Phoenix City Manager Ed Zuercher, who detailed plans for the tournament earlier this week.
“We’re hosting people coming to town from California for sports clubs and other activities. There’s something wrong with this picture," Marvasti said. "Who’s following the science and looking at the guidance and actually doing what makes sense for public health?”
