Last year’s fair was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“While I understand that there are many views on this, as a doctor I think the science on this is pretty clear,” said board member Dr Nathan Somers. , during the virtual meeting on Wednesday. “Vaccines, social distancing, contact tracing and masking are effective in slowing the progression and spread of this virus. “

The mandate requires a face covering in all indoor public places, as well as in private places open to the public, regardless of vaccination status, for anyone aged 2 years and over.

Board chair Heather Sankey stressed that the fair was not targeted, but that the masking rules apply to all businesses and events.

West Springfield is in Hampden County, which is the last in the state for COVID-19 vaccinations, according to state data.

Several people at the meeting spoke out against a mask warrant, saying it would hurt their businesses.

The Big E, which features farm shows, a halfway, concerts, food vendors, and more, has indoor and outdoor spaces.

Organizers of the fair were expecting a mask tenure, Big E chief executive officer Eugene Cassidy told The Associated Press on Thursday.

“In fact, we had started preparing for this a few weeks ago,” he said.

The fair is putting up more signage reminding people of the mask requirement and staff will give “gentle reminders” to people who do not comply, he said.

He also relies on the goodwill of the participants.

“I hope that the loyal public is used to these mandates and protocols and will react in a positive way,” he said.

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BAKER-BIDEN VACCINE PLAN

Gov. Charlie Baker said Thursday he was waiting to hear more details on the rule proposed by President Joe Biden that would require employers of at least 100 workers to force employees to get vaccinated or produce results from weekly tests showing they are virus free.

“I’m obviously a big fan of people who get vaccinated and I’m obviously comfortable with employers creating programs for their own people to get vaccinated,” the Republican said during an appearance on GBH News .

But Baker said he wasn’t ready to comment on Biden’s proposal until he could see more details.

“The proposal that federal officials made at this point was that you be vaccinated or tested regularly, but we haven’t seen any details on what that looks like yet,” Baker said.

Biden asked the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to write the proposed rule

Baker said he was waiting to see what they found.

“I hesitate to comment until we actually see something,” Baker said. “For something as big and widespread and complicated as this one, I would really like to see how it would work, who qualifies, who doesn’t, what the rules are and everything in between.”

Baker also said his administration had discussed with other states how to create a universal system for residents to prove they had been vaccinated.

Baker said it was already possible for a person to check their immunization status through their health care provider.

“But obviously there are states and municipalities that have done something more universal than this,” he said. “And we talked to these people and worked on how it would work here in the Commonwealth.”

More than 4.5 million people in Massachusetts have been fully immunized.

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TEACHERS AND VACCINES

Two major Massachusetts teachers’ unions criticize Gov. Charlie Baker for the lack of a statewide coronavirus vaccination policy for schools.

“A statewide mandate requiring educators to be vaccinated, as President Biden calls for, would best protect our communities – including communities of color, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic. Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy said. a statement Wednesday, according to the Boston Herald.

“Educators and our students cross city boundaries every day, and the virus is not contained by city boundaries,” said Massachusetts American Federation of Teachers President Beth Kontos. “Public health decisions during a deadly pandemic are too important to be left to politicized local decision-making. When it comes to masking, testing and vaccination policy, we need statewide leadership guided by public health experts. “

Baker, a Republican, lets each school district make its own decisions.

“Accountability, authority and responsibility rests with city governments and so they need to understand that,” Baker said this week.