Much time and effort has also gone into planning mitigation tactics and staying informed of the fluid circumstances. Parr said Nebraska State Fair officials have met with Anderson and other CDHD professionals on a weekly basis, at least.
Tactics like encouraging masks have still left many faces on the fairgrounds bare, Anderson said. “We’re not seeing much — if any — masking. More indoors, of course. There is no harm wearing a mask outdoors.”
Evidently people are at least taking them, Parr said. “Lots of people are taking them. We had to put in a call for more masks.”
Anderson said wearing masks and taking other precautions are as necessary as they were a year ago. Breakthrough cases — transmissions of vaccinated individuals — have been popping up, and variants have reached the area, Anderson said. “One hundred percent of our cases are the Delta variant.”
Social distancing efforts like those taken in the fairgrounds’ livestock barns are also important, most recently particularly for young people, Anderson said. “Our big concern is our youth.” About a quarter of the CDHD area’s cases are in those 29 or younger.
Contact tracing any transmissions occurring during the fair, which ends Monday, will be tricky as hundreds of thousands from across the state move through the gates. There is a system, Anderson said. “As people get tested their local health department is contacted with the results. We try to connect the cases as much as we can.”
