I think "couple" is pretty typically accepted as being "two", at least in most US settings; I can't speak for international variations. In my home area of central Pennsylvania "couple" is a more general, meaning anywhere between 2 and 4, but I think that usage is rather the exception than the rule.
Nonetheless, we can probably give them a pass for saying "couple" instead of "nearly three" since January 2020.
Also from central PA: my dad and I had this discussion years ago and he argued the syllables made the count: (1)A (2)Few and (1)A (2)Coup (3)le. I was in the other camp that a couple is two (husband and wife) and a few was much more loose on definition (2-5).
Nonetheless, we can probably give them a pass for saying "couple" instead of "nearly three" since January 2020.