The Minnesota State Fair announced Wednesday it will not be requiring masks. Its statement reads, “Mandating masks fairgrounds-wide would be extremely difficult for our organization to enforce, so we are urging you to pitch in and do what’s right.”
Fair leadership is “urging” participants to wear masks, but it will not be mandated. People who attend the fair will not be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. The fair said, “no event can be completely risk-free, and we’re counting on you to do your part to help us present as safe an event as we can.”
The fair leadership asked fair-goers to consider the guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health with regards to masking, social distancing, and vaccinations. It encouraged those who are not vaccinated against COVID to wear a mask, at least while indoors. The fair also asked fair-goers to stay home if sick and continue to wash their hands and be mindful of those around them.
The few areas where masks will be required include the Care & Assistance building, the First Aid building, and the North End Event Center. Trolleys will also require non vaccinated individuals to wear a mask.
The fair also shared that free COVID vaccines will be offered at the North End Event Center during the duration of the fair, with no “identification or insurance required.”
The fair leadership also shared that at “some independent vendor booths” it may “require everyone in their booth to wear a mask.”
As was reported by Bring Me The News, last week Minnesota’s advocacy group for those with disabilities, Minnesota Council on Disability (MCD), pulled out of the fair because “our leaders have not stepped up to require masks, vaccines, or crowd limits at the State Fair.”
The advocacy group said the fair was not creating a “welcoming environment” for Minnesotans with disabilities or the elderly. MCD said it “cannot endorse the decision to make masking optional at the State Fair,” saying that “this lack of leadership and policies does not represent our state’s diverse racial, ethnic, aging, or disability communities.”
MCD claimed not having rules regarding masking and vaccination was an “implicit message that Minnesotans with disabilities are asked not to attend.”
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
Photo “Minnesota State Fair” by Minnesota State Fair.
