Coronavirus experts in Los Angeles made the announcement this week ... saying if people host large gatherings for the Chiefs vs. Bucs next weekend, it could be dire.

"Don’t organize a party at home," L.A. County public health director Barbara Ferrer said. "Don’t go to a Super Bowl party."

Ferrer added, "It will be tragic if the Super Bowl becomes a super-spreader of coronavirus."

The COVID numbers in L.A. are some of the worst in the nation ... with over 1 million people having been diagnosed in the county throughout the past year.

And, despite positivity rates finally starting to slowly decline, Ferrer and the rest of the county's health officials are urging people to not let their guard down -- even if it's just for a few hours to watch football.

"Each of us needs to make very careful choices about what we do," Ferrer said. "Please don’t resume socializing with lots of people not in your household."

If a social gathering is an absolute must ... Ferrer did lay out some guidelines -- explaining the event should consist of only one or two households that have been stable and safe.