Will coronavirus delay or cancel the Minnesota State Fair?
A record-breaking crowd at the Minnesota State Fair. Photo by Cody Matz / Fox 9.
(FOX 9) - As more outbreak modeling becomes available for the coronavirus pandemic, it's becoming increasingly clear that it will be some time before Minnesota is back to normal.
The long duration of the outbreak will threaten summer events, which could include the Minnesota State Fair.
Wednesday, Governor Walz put in place a "stay at home" order with hopes that it would help delay a peak in cases until early June, giving the state more time to prep extra facilities to handle overflow COVID cases.
With large crowds, including many elderly visitors, a typical state fair could be a prime spot for transmission of the disease, if it were to go on this year. Speaking Thursday, Governor Tim Walz understands the importance of the event.
"Minnesota does need the state fair," Gov. Walz opined, before adding that it is "probably too early" to make a decision.
"Our hope would be that we're making the turn [by fair time]," Walz added. "But we're going to have to make those decisions based on the situation."
The governor also said it is his hope the state would "have a handle" on the outbreak by fair time. But, the governor noted that the pandemic will likely come with a second and third wave after the initial peak.
Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm agreed with the governor's assessment, saying they'd have to wait and examine the situation.