Screenshot courtesy Brevard County Sheriff's Office/Facebook
In a Nov. 26 Facebook post, Ivey showed a photo of approximately 75 maskless people who participated in the event. “The annual event is not only an opportunity for our team to enjoy some friendly competition, but is also a time of fellowship with our BCSO Family!!,” wrote the elected official.
Feedback on the post featured a range of people thanking their sheriff and his employees for their service, as well as others shaming Ivey for creating a possible super-spreader event.
“Great job risking lives, your own and others, by just simply not wearing a mask or social distancing in order to *checks notes* play a game,” wrote one commenter. “So the whole department is quarantined?” wrote another.
According to the post, the event was between the “Command Team” and members of the Sheriff’s Office from various units.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Anticipating a post-holiday coronavirus surge, the Centers for Disease Control updated its recommendations for gatherings on Nov. 17, urging people not to mix different households together, to continue to wear masks, remain 6 feet apart and avoid direct contact, including handshakes and hugs — all of which were apparently ignored during Ivey's football game.
Meanwhile, more than 1 million COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States over the last seven days, and here in Florida more than 80 percent of counties have moderate or high levels of community transmission, says the White House report.
On Monday, Florida added 97 more reported fatalities, bringing the death toll to 18,597, reports the Department of Health. The state also added 6,659 new positive COVID-19 cases to bring the total to 999,319.
This story first appeared on our sister paper's site, Creative Loafing Tampa.
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