With COVID-19 cases hitting the highest point in more than three months, Canfield Fair officials are worried about its impact on the event, which returns next month, but have no plans to require face masks.

“The concern about the virus is there,” said George Roman, the fair’s spokesman and its director of concessions and entertainment. “It’s always been a concern since Day 1, but we hope the cases lessen when the fair returns.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the full Canfield Fair was canceled last year and restricted to a junior fair.

The fair returns Sept. 1 to 6.

While there are plenty of buildings at the fair, most of it is outdoors.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending people, even those fully vaccinated, wear face masks in indoor public places in counties that are listed as having a substantial or high COVID-19 transmission rate.

As of Tuesday, Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties are listed by the CDC as having a substantial transmission rate.

Some businesses — including Giant Eagle, Home Depot and Target — are requiring their employees wear masks again, but are only requesting all customers use them. Others are doing it in high risk areas including Walmart, Kohl’s and McDonald’s.

“We have not been asked to do that by the governor,” Roman said of the Canfield Fair. “He governs county fairs in Ohio. As of right now, we are under no obligation for masks or vaccination requirements.”

Gov. Mike DeWine has said several times that he will not bring back mandatory face mask requirements and instead urges the unvaccinated to get inoculated.

Tracy Styka, Mahoning County Public Health spokeswoman, said her department doesn’t have the authority to make masks mandatory.

The department has the following recommendations:

Get vaccinated. The department’s next vaccination clinic is 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch) at its office, 50 Westchester Drive in Austintown.

Wear a mask if not fully vaccinated if in indoor public places.

Stay 6 feet away from others.

Wash hands often.

Cover coughs and sneezes.

Monitor your health daily, looking for fever, cough or shortness of breath.

The Trumbull County Combined Health District and the Warren City Health District, in a Tuesday joint statement, said COVID-19 cases are greatly increasing in the county, largely because of the delta variant, which is more contagious than previous strands of the virus.

The districts said the vaccine is the most efficient way to prevent illness.

Trumbull is having COVID-19 vaccination clinics every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. and one the first and third Saturdays in August from 1 to 4 p.m. at the former Lane Bryant in the Eastwood Mall in Niles.

Those getting the vaccine will receive a $25 Eastwood Mall gift card.

Also, there will be clinics from Monday to Aug. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Warren Assembly of God, 2640 Parkman Road NW in Warren. Those getting the vaccine will receive $100 Visa gift cards.

The Warren district is offering clinics from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 11, 18 and 25 at its office, 258 Market St. in Warren. It will also have a clinic from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 22 at Perkins Park.

COVID-19 DATA

The 1,769 new COVID-19 cases reported Tuesday is up from the daily average of 855 for the past 21 days, according to the Ohio Department of Health. About a months ago, Ohio was averaging about 260 cases a day.

The 1,769 cases is the most in a single day in Ohio since 1,786 on April 29.

The state had a total of 1,132,798 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 1,092,893 presumed recovered and 20,530 deaths.

The ODH usually provides death information on Tuesdays and Fridays.

There were 38 additional COVID-19 deaths since Friday including one in Mahoning County.

Mahoning County had 22,881 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 21,937 presumed recovered and 614 deaths, according to the ODH.

Trumbull County had 16,940 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 16,145 presumed recovered and 493 deaths.

Columbiana County had 9,282 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday with 8,901 presumed recovered and 236 deaths.

VACCINATIONS

There were 5,789,597 people, 49.53 percent of the state’s population, who had at least started getting inoculated as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, including 10,489 in the previous 24 hours, according to the ODH.

In Mahoning County, 48.03 percent of the population (109,841 people) had received at least one dose with 45.75 percent of the population in Trumbull County (90,571 people) and 38.67 percent in Columbiana County (39,397 people) as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, according to the ODH.

There were 5,401,419 people, 46.21 percent of the state’s population, who finished the vaccinations as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, including 5,126 in the prior 24 hours.

In Mahoning County, 44.74 percent of the population (102,305 people) had completed the process, and 42.33 percent of the population in Trumbull (83,812 people) and 36.29 percent of the population in Columbiana (36,974 people) had as of 6 a.m. Tuesday.

dskolnick@vindy.com