HARRINGTON, Del. --- Gov. John Carney on Thursday toured the Delaware State Fair and reiterated that he felt it was still important to have the event take place in a safe manner amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carney spoke during an awards ceremony at the state fair in which a number of people were recognized. He told an audience of people wearing masks sitting across from Hertrich Plaza that Delawareans and many business owners across the state have sacrificed a lot under restrictions implemented during the pandemic that were aimed at reducing the spread of the coronavirus.
"This is still an incredibly important tradition," he said of the fair, which organizers say has seen fewer visitors due to the coronavirus.
Speaking with reporters, Carney defended the decision by the Delaware Division Public Health to allow the fair to operate while also respecting the agency's decisions to deny permits for events like the Wyoming Peach Festival or to bar fans from being in the stands for NASCAR's August races at Dover International Speedway.
Carney said the fair's layout and requirements on face coverings in many locations helped mitigate risk of the coronavirus spreading at the event, which runs through Saturday. He said risk factors were more controlled at the fair compared to a NASCAR events, which typically see thousands of fans in the stands that return in many cases to campsites or hotels.
"It's mostly open--indoor stuff is closed --so there's a lot of spacing not nearly as many people," he said. "It's probably a little harder to get people to wear masks or challenge with some folks but I think it's much more controllable."
