CENTRE COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — With the recent rise in new COVID cases - what will happen when thousands of people soon show up in one county in our region?
In the geographic center of Centre County, Centre Hall, it is Grange Fair time again.
Campers began moving in this past weekend.
It’s one of two sites in Centre County where the population is going to increase significantly in the next few days.
The Centre County Grange Fair and encampment, close to a thousand family tents are joined by more than a thousand motor homes.
Earlier this year, fair organizers did a survey on whether or not to hold the event that was cancelled last year.
The response -- nearly 80 percent in favor of bringing back the fair.
“I think it comes down to personal preference,” says Grange Fair Manager Darlene Confer. “If people want to wear masks, they'll wear masks. A large part of the population is vaccinated now. We will ask people to do some additional spacing and we'll have more sanitary stations available. We'll be following recommendations.”
About 15 miles away, at Penn State, a lot of controversy is surrounding the fall plans, with thousands back on campus for in person classes and the university encouraging, but not requiring vaccinations.
“Today, we have a local leader meeting with Penn State leadership,” Centre County Commissioner Mike Pipe. “Very much looking forward to that conversation, see how it goes. I think they're going to provide us with an update.”
Penn State is setting up campus testing and vaccination centers.
The state's department of health among those monitoring developments.
“We have a great partnership with the Department of Health for a testing site. We’re working very closely with them to continue that. Still more to come on that. We communicated with them very closely when students returned last august a year ago.”
One important elemental different than this time last year is that, as of Tuesday morning, just under 79,000 people in Centre County are fully vaccinated.
The first full day of activities at Grange Fair Friday, classes begin at Penn State Monday.
ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7y6iamqRfqbWwwdKapZ2rXaeytcHRp2Stp12Ysq%2FA0Z5knKelo8G6ecWoqWafopa7qLGMn5iiql2lsq%2B6jKyrmqyVYrCtrdKsnKxlkah6pLvVoptmq6CeuKa%2F