Fauci on college football stadiums packed with maskless fans: ‘I don’t think it’s smart’

The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, condemned college football games that were packed with fans not wearing masks. 

“I don’t think it’s smart,” Fauci said during a CNN interview after he was shown pictures of college football stadiums with maskless fans.

“Outdoors is always better than indoors, but even when you have such a congregate setting of people close together,” Fauci said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that fully vaccinated individuals wear masks outside if they are in a crowded space where they are unable to practice social distancing. 

It is unclear if the stadiums required all fans to be vaccinated before they were allowed in the game.

Fauci said in the interview he expects more local mandates from schools and companies requiring vaccinations in order to go to an event. 

“The rule is going to be if you want to participate, you get vaccinated. If not, sorry, you are not going to be able to do it,” Fauci said.

He believes the number of cases will start to diminish with the additional vaccine mandates. 

Fully vaccinated individuals are recommended to wear masks indoors and outdoors in crowded spaces due to the increase in cases caused by the delta variant. 

Cases and hospitalizations have been rising as the U.S. hit 40 million recorded cases throughout the pandemic over Labor Day weekend.