The board of health in West Springfield, Massachusetts, is set to vote on an indoor mask mandate this week. The head of the Big E fair, which takes place in the city and starts Friday, said he's in favor of it.
The proposed regulation requires face coverings in all indoor public places, as well as private places open to the public, for those over the age of two.
Eugene Cassidy, president of the Big E, said he thinks the proposal makes sense.
"I think it's something that is very well thought out," he said. "Hampden County is experiencing a problem with the delta variant. Certainly, this is not a surprise to us at all. We have very, very close contacts with the health department."
Cassidy said the fair has already produced signs notifying visitors of the mask requirement in case it passes.
He also said his staff will work to remind people of the rule, though he's asking the public not to engage in trying to enforce it.
According to the the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the percentage of people testing positive for COVID-19 in Hampden County over the previous two weeks was more than double that for the state as a whole.
