Santa Maria Fairpark CEO Richard Persons
issued the following statement:
“In light of the Governor’s directive regarding public gatherings, the Santa Maria Fairpark staff is working with event promoters for activities scheduled during March to postpone and/or reschedule events that meet the criteria of large gatherings, including a large concert, a number of dinner fundraisers, and several other events which were planned for more than 250 people or in configurations where “social distancing” is not possible.
The Fairpark is a State agency, and in addition to this directive, continues to follow all other recommended protocol for cleaning and sanitizing the facility after daily use.
Fairpark staff continues to monitor the development of the Coronavirus pandemic on a worldwide basis, and continues to monitor information from a variety of sources, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and more local sources like the California Department of Public Health and the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department.
As of March 11th, 2020, no cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo counties. Recommendations from various sources are that people be vigilant about their own health – wash your hands regularly, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze, stay home if you are sick, avoid crowded places if your immune system is compromised.
Fairpark staff are continuing to plan for the best events on the Central Coast, including the Santa Maria Valley Strawberry Festival April 24th – 26th, and the Santa Barbara County Fair July 15th – 19th. T
The health of our patrons and business partners is utmost in our planning for any event, because we know that we host the most important celebrations of our community. We will continue to keep the community informed as things develop, and we hope people understand that this is a dynamic and unprecedented situation that will continue to unfold for some time to come.”
The California Department of Public Health statement upon which the Governor based his directive can be found here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/…/C…/Gathering_Guidance_03.11.20.pdf