On the surface, a Super Bowl party held Sunday at March Air Reserve Base seemed like any other. People watched the game on large, flat-screen TVs. They dined on beer and chicken wings. They cheered — or booed — when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers.
What made this party unusual, however, were its attendees: Americans evacuated from China and ordered to remain at the base over concern they had been exposed to coronavirus.
It marked 50 years since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last ordered a federal quarantine, and coincidentally, also the last time the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
Video shot by evacuee Jarred Evans, who plays pro arena football in Wuhan, shows a group gathered outside to watch the big game on several large TVs. They sat on plastic folding chairs, served themselves food buffet-style and drank beer from red Solo cups.
Evans has been updating Inside Edition daily about life under quarantine, including a tour of his room, what kind of food they've been eating and insight into the general atmosphere among his fellow travelers. He said he's also garnered several admirers on Instagram, where he has over 15,000 followers.
"A lady said, 'I'd love to be quarantined with you any single day,'" Evans told Inside Edition. "Another individual said, 'Hey, if you're lonely I'll hop the gate just to stay with you.'"
Last Wednesday, the evacuees arrived at the base and were asked to stay voluntarily for at least three days to be monitored by the Centers for Disease Control. On Friday, the CDC mandated the group stay at the base for a total of 14 days from the time their plane left Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak.
"Medical staff will continue to monitor the health of each traveler, including temperature checks and observation for respiratory symptoms," the CDC said in a statement. "If an individual presents symptoms, medical care will be readily available"
In China, the death toll has risen to 361 as the number of confirmed cases reached 17,205. Eleven people in the United States have been diagnosed with the virus.
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