‘A feeling of false security.’ Packed crowds at men’s NCAA Tournament could create uptick in COVID cases

The urge to socialize as the city tries to host the entire men’s college basketball tournament simply proved too strong for many Hoosiers.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by the Indianapolis Star and has been republished in its entirety below.

Indianapolis celebrated the city’s largest event since the pandemic began as it hosted the opening round of the men’s NCAA Tournament this weekend, but revelry surrounding the games is causing consternation among public health experts.

A packed crowd of mostly young adults without masks gathered for an outdoor watch party at the Bottleworks District. One uneasy security guard estimated more than 2,000 people were crowded between two jumbo screens at either end of the block.

It’s a stark contrast to what players, coaches and support staff have faced under the NCAA’s health and safety protocols. Saturday night Virginia Commonwealth’s first-round game against Oregon was called off three hours before it was set to begin. Multiple VCU players tested positive for COVID-19 in a 48-hour period.

Meanwhile, tournament attendees gathered in crowded tents outside restaurants downtown, where drinks flowed and flat screen televisions broadcast games.

Most people said they felt safe, especially at the games, where facilities are restricted to 25% of their normal capacity or less. The busy downtown streets drew vendors who have seen little business over the past year, from pop-up clothing retailers to a troop of Girl Scouts selling cookies.

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But gatherings such as the one at Bottleworks worried public health experts, who fear they could undermine the rigorous health and safety protocols the NCAA and Indianapolis officials have put in place to keep the tournament safe under unprecedented conditions.

“This pandemic is not over yet and everybody is acting like it is,” said Dr. Richard Feldman, a former state health commissioner. “There is a feeling of false security.”

He said the danger is not necessarily the NCAA games themselves. “The danger is in what happens before and after the games,” he said. “The partying. The crowded venues. People gathering in larger groups. These are mostly younger people that have not been immunized. This could very likely create an uptick again in the number of cases.”

But the urge to socialize as the city tries to pull off hosting the entire men’s college basketball tournament simply proved too strong for many Hoosiers, even those who recognize the potential risks of COVID-19.

Revelers at the Bottleworks, for example, included health care professionals.

Enrique Caraballo, 23, and Ciara Sultzer, 26, both nurses for local hospitals, said they were aware of the public health risks of the event, but they are both fully immunized so they decided to come anyway.

“I think people just want to get outside and be social again,” Caraballo said. “I mean, we’ve been inside for so long. I know that sounds ironic coming from us because we’re both nurses.”

“We’re like, ‘Get outside, have fun, just don’t come to the hospital,'” said Sultzer.

“Realistically, it’s a bad idea,” Caraballo said. “But we’re social creatures and we just want to get out and have fun. And I mean, that doesn’t make it right, by any means, but it’s just the way it is.”

IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, reached out to a spokesperson for Bottleworks, but did not receive a response.

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