Last year in 2020 I started a petition calling for the cancellation of the West Virginia State Fair http://chng.it/RHpHJYjq . I was able to collect over 800 signatures in as little as two days. After several days the State Fair decided to cancel the event going forward due to growing public pressure.
Since last year we have learned a great deal about Covid 19 and Covid 19 prevention and I am confident in moving forward with the State Fair. However this nonsense to practice social distancing on the fairgrounds is ridiculous.
The reality of the matter is there will be absolutely no social distancing. I also believe there is a good possibility for a large Covid outbreak as a result of the fair. I also feel that the local government and state is not doing enough to address safety concerns. I believe the local and state government is putting money before public safety.
Therefore I strongly believe that there should be a mask mandate on the fairgrounds. I understand it would be difficult to enforce. But the policy should be simple no mask, no service. If you don’t have a facemask on you cant enter the fairgrounds, you cant enter buildings or make purchases from vendors! The Carnival should operate strictly off of a Mega Pass Policy and not use Ride Tickets. Carnival rides would be exempt from mask mandates, as mask pose a safety risk to the mechanical systems.
Rides could easily be cleaned throughout the day by just rinsing them off with a pressure washer. Handwashing stations and hand sanitizer must be available across the fairgrounds. However I feel that many of the stations are not going to be properly stocked or managed.
That’s why I believe the Governor should activate the West Virginia National Guard to assist with the State Fair of West Virginia. National Guard mission will be to ensure the public safety and make sure the public has access to hand sanitizer, mask, handwashing stations. National Guard will give these away to the public for free courtesy of the state.
I believe there should be well over 20 or 30 locations on the fairgrounds where the National Guard is stationed. This way hand sanitizer remains widely available and troops can communicate by radio. If they need additional supplies.
Additionally starting on the first day of the fair there should be a three-week temporary mask mandate for Greenbrier County. This should be done as a safety precaution. As Greenbrier County could easily turn into a Covid hotspot.
National Guard should also prepare to setup emergency Covid units in Greenbrier County in case medical facilities become overrun as a result of a major outbreak. Covid testing facilities should also be widely available for three weeks following the fair.
As of right now the Delta variant is spreading rapidly across the country and there’s discussions about more national lockdowns. A simple let’s better be safe than sorry should be the motto for the state fair. Let’s have temporary mask mandate for the next three weeks starting the first day of the fair for all of Greenbrier County. A mask mandate that applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. But I strongly believe the state fair should continue as scheduled!