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New York state has canceled its fair this summer out of concern for public health, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at a press briefing Monday. 

Cuomo said in late April that the state must be fully reopened to host the New York State Fair, but warned that events like fairs could attract a large number of visitors and allow the coronavirus to spread. The state fair attracted over a million visitors in 2019, a record-breaking crowd. 

The governor did not provide additional details regarding the state’s decision to cancel the fair beyond public safety concerns.

“This is a really tough (decision),” Cuomo said at the briefing in New York City. “We’ve invested a lot of money, we’ve had record attendance. It’s really amazing.”

Most regions of New York state, including central New York, are in phase four of the state’s reopening plan. New York City entered phase three Monday and surrounding downstate regions, including Westchester and Long Island, are set to enter phase four this week. 

As they awaited a final decision on the fair’s reopening, New York state fair vendors had prepared to make adjustments to their businesses to ensure public safety. Cuomo called the state fair an “economic boom” for the central New York region.

“We have a fantastic state fair in Syracuse,” Cuomo said. “(Canceling) makes me personally very unhappy, but that is where we are”

Published on July 6, 2020 at 3:56 pm

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan