Ban folks over 60 from volunteering at junior fairs. That’s just one of the tough new rules issued by Ohio for counties that want to hold a junior fair. The Scioto County Fair is canceled for 2020, but the junior fair may still happen. According to the Scioto County Fair Board, they are in the planning stages of a junior fair for participants in 4-H and FFA.
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These tough rules are intended to fight the spread of COVID-19. They apply to participants, judges, volunteers, vendors, visitors, and even animals. Let’s break them all down. Among the changes, don’t use folks over 60 or those with health issues like diabetes as judges. Face masks will also be required for most people.
Keep clicking to check out the five new rules.
1
Livestock
- Limit of 10 exhibitors in the show ring at a time.
- Sanitize the microphone between each speaker or each speaker has their own mic.
- Follow mass gathering and social distancing in the exhibition area.
- Animals can only stay on the fairgrounds for a maximum of 72 hours.
- It is preferred animals stay less than 48 hours.
- Install barriers to enforce social distancing.
- Sanitize all surfaces.
- Provide hand washing or hand sanitizer.
- Handlers and pen placement have to conform to social distancing rules.
- Make sure there’s adequate airflow in barns.
- Face masks are required in the ring.
- No physical contact between judges and exhibitors.
- Do not touch or pet the animals.
Auctions
- No animals in the ring during the auction.
- The viewing gallery is limited to buyers and immediate family unless the building is quite large.
- The use of virtual auctions is encouraged.
- Face masks are required in the ring.
- No physical contact between exhibitors and buyers.
Skillathon
- A virtual Skillathon is preferred.
- Individual, designated times for participants in live Skillathons.
- Designate different barns should be for different animals.
- Install barriers to enforce social distancing.
2
Non-Animal Exhibits
- Thoroughly clean exhibit areas between participants.
- Space exhibitors out within exhibition areas to
adhere to six-foot social distancing guidelines. - Encourage virtual judging of exhibitions.
- Assign individual, designated times for live judging.
- Establish a drive-thru system for exhibitors to pick up pre-judging paperwork.
- No physical contact between judges and exhibitors.
3
Volunteers
- Conduct daily symptom assessments.
- Use the least number of volunteers possible.
- Don’t use volunteers in high-risk groups. (Over 60 or with chronic health issues)
- Provide education on social distancing and hand washing.
4
Food Vendors
- Food vendors must follow the same rules as Ohio restaurants and bars.
- Position vendors to ensure at least six feet between people ordering food.
- Mark the ground to show six-feet ground distance for lines.
- Place seating areas six feet apart.
- No self-service food. Self-service beverage permitted.
- Vendors should place condiments on food or offer self-service.
5
Visitors
- Visitors must stay in groups of 10 or smaller.
- Fairgoers must stay six feet apart
- Masks recommended for spectators and visitors.
- Limit entrances and exits.
- Establish a one-way flow of traffic through barns and other facilities.
- Keep building capacity at 50% of occupancy.
