Metuchen Country Fair 2021 Canceled Amid COVID Surge

METUCHEN, NJ — The Metuchen Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday announced it was canceling this year’s Country Fair.

“The Country Fair Committee has made the difficult decision to not move forward with scheduling the Country Fair this October, primarily for concerns about public health and safety,” the Chamber of Commerce said in a statement.

Registration for the fair was to be announced this week. “But we have decided we can’t proceed in good conscience to plan such a large public event in the current climate.”

The Chamber said it was working on replacing the event with something that requires “a less concentrated physical environment.” An announcement on that is expected early next week.

“We realize this is extremely disappointing to many businesses, organizations, and residents, but please know the Chamber and Country Fair Committee share in those feelings,” organizers said.

The fair was canceled last year as well due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of July 31, all of New Jersey's 21 counties except one have now entered "high" or "substantial" levels of coronavirus transmission, meaning that the CDC wants residents in those counties to wear face masks again in indoor public settings — including schools, workplaces, and public buildings - even if they've been vaccinated.

Read More Here: CDC Says Face Masks Should Now Be Worn In Nearly All NJ Counties

The rise in COVID-19 cases is mainly due to the prevalence of the delta variant, first seen in India and first detected in the United States in March. This mutation of the virus spreads 50 percent faster than the alpha variant first seen in Great Britain, according to Yale Medicine.

Read More Here: Delta Variant Continues Spread Despite NJ Vaccination Compliance

The Metuchen Country fair is held each year in October. It is one of the most anticipated events in Central Jersey attracting thousands of visitors.

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