WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Preparations are underway for the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair, but with the spread of the coronavirus, fair organizers aren’t taking any chances.
They’re planning to open the Youth Fair as scheduled while making sure their guests have some good clean fun.
The rides are here, the food stands are up, and we are now just one week away from the 69th annual Youth Fair in Miami-Dade County.
“Safety is the number one thing for our guests,” said Fair President Eddie Cora.
But the one guest organizers hope doesn’t show up this year: the coronavirus.
“Our safety plan, every year, centers around the guests making sure they have a good time, they feel safe and they leave safe,” Cora said.
Cora said every year they take precautions against the flu and any other spreadable disease.
This year, however, they’re taking things to another level.
“We have 253 individual washing stations,” Cora said.
Among them are more than 150 sanitizer stations throughout the fairgrounds.
“Here you’ll have almost 600 touch points to be able to sanitize your hands,” Cora said.
Hand washing stations will also be popping up throughout the fairgrounds.
They’re also working with Dr. Aileen Marty from Florida International University to come up with an effective plan of action.
On Wednesday at a panel discussion, Dr. Marty spoke about the importance of hygiene.
“By keeping surfaces that are frequently touched clean, we are going to reduce spread,” she said. “Any place that you can congregate, that you can put your hand down, we’re going to continually be cleaning them all night long.”
We caught up with Armando Santelices who said he’s not concerned about COVID-19.
“I’m not going to stay home because of the virus,” he declared.
He plans to bring his whole family out to the fair next week.
“Wash your hands and don’t touch your face, and that’s it,” Santelices said.
“I’m not scared yet,” said Kendall resident Stephania Munoz. “Maybe if there were more people infected with it I’d be scared.”
With this year’s new food and new attractions, Cora hopes others will also make it out for some fun at The Fair.
“We have a Flaming Hot Cheeto corn dog, a Samoa caramel apple, and the largest travelling observation wheel in the county,” Cora said. “We welcome our community here starting next Thursday, March 12.”
This year’s Youth Fair runs from March 12 through April 5.
If you happen to feel sick right around the start of the fair, stay home and wait until towards the end of the fair’s run to attend, when you’ve recovered.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.