State Fair a ‘challenge’ amid delta variant surge, U of M infectious disease expert says

A University of Minnesota infectious disease expert says the Minnesota State Fair is a "challenge" during the delta COVID-19 variant’s surge.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that attendance at the State Fair will be an obstacle as the state deals with the recent surge of the COVID-19 delta variant.

“Honestly, I have to say I think the State Fair will be a challenge for us this year,” Osterholm said. “I think we are likely going to see a real impact on cases and whether it’s a few hundred cases, or more, we don’t know but look at what happened a day after the Bucks won the NBA title where you had 500 new cases and that was just one outdoor rally around the arena and not a multi-day event.”

Osterholm said, if people choose to attend the fair, they should do so “with adequate respiratory protection, which is an N-95 mask.”