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Holcomb Convinced State Fair Will Be Safe Amid COVID-19 Surge

Lauren Chapman / IPB News

Gov. Eric Holcomb said he’ll be monitoring Indiana’s COVID-19 data as the State Fair begins. But he’s convinced it will be safe.

The State Fair typically draws nearly 1 million people over its run of less than three weeks. And Indiana is in the middle of the sharpest spike in daily COVID-19 cases since the pandemic’s earliest days.

READ MORE: How Is Indiana Distributing COVID-19 Vaccines? Here's What You Need To Know

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The Fair doesn’t have any mandated COVID-19 restrictions for its guests. But Holcomb said, if people want to feel more comfortable, they’re free to wear a mask.

“That is one way to add another extra layer of not just peace of mind, but safety,” Holcomb said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued guidance that even vaccinated people should wear masks indoors in areas of significant spread, which includes most of Indiana.

Much of the State Fair – though not all of it – is outdoors.

There is also a COVID-19 vaccination site at the State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.