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W.Va. governor says concerts at fairs can resume in July

Associated Press | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years AGO
by Associated Press
| June 8, 2020 1:03 PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Monday said outdoor concerts at fairs and festivals will be allowed to resume next month as he continues to lift coronavirus restrictions in the state.

The Republican governor said the open-air concerts at fairs and festivals can be held starting on July 1.

Justice has pushed forward with an aggressive plan to remove virus restrictions on businesses.

Casinos and movie theaters were allowed to reopen last week. On Monday, low-contact youth sports teams as well as middle and high school teams were allowed to start practicing again. The youth teams can resume games on June 22 with fans in the stands if social distancing rules are followed.

Private and state park campgrounds, cabins and lodges are set to reopen to out-of-state guests Wednesday.

The governor’s plan to remove restrictions hinges on the state’s positive test rate staying under 3% for three days, loosening a previous goal of having the number of new cases drop for two weeks.

At least 84 people in West Virginia have died from the virus and about 2,100 have tested positive, health officials said.

For most people, the virus cases mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the highly contagious virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.

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Follow AP pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.

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