FAIRLEA, W.Va. — There have been four positive COVID-19 cases linked to the State Fair in Greenbrier County this week.
Fair officials announced the cases in a Facebook post Monday, adding contact tracing was done immediately and that the infected individuals have been isolated.
Since the start of the fair on Thursday, the Greenbrier County Health Department along with the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine have been on site every day to offer free vaccines.
“With school getting ready to start, it was super important for us to be on the ground and to be able to provide testing. We can also provide hands on face-to-face support to the fair staff as they’re seeing positive cases,” said Tia Humphreys, a nurse with the health department.
Fair goers willing to get their shots are able to receive either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The vaccination booth is located under the grandstand.
“Our primary mission to give people COVID vaccines or at least to provide them with evidence based information about the vaccine,” said Mark Snider, another nurse with the department.
Snider has been administering vaccines this week to people as young as 12 years old.
“We have injected a first vaccine for a 12 year old boy. His mom brought him in. He was a little scared, but excited he did it,” Snider said.
This year’s opening has seen an increase so far of more than 50,000 people, compared to the same time in 2019. The fair was closed in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Snider said he’s concerned about the ongoing threat of the Delta variant at large events like the State Fair, a big reason why the department is working to increase access to vaccinations.
“It goes after everybody. It doesn’t care if you’re a little boy or girl with a loving family. It could put you in the hospital. It’s twice as likely to get people seriously ill. The only protection primarily with this is vaccination,” he said.
In response to the positive COVID cases, the fair has stepped up sanitation efforts.
Masks and vaccinations are not required on the fairgrounds; however, face coverings are strongly recommended for indoor areas like the Country Store.
Gates open every day at 9 a.m. The fair runs through Saturday.