There are less than three weeks until Hull Fair begins. The earliest stages of set-up have already begun, and it will not be long before Showmen and women begin arriving in the city.
The usual rides – and maybe some new ones, as well as stalls, smells, sights, and sounds, will be in the city from October 8th to 16th. The usual Hull Fair checklist might include budgeting for the big rides, picking up some cinder toffee, getting the big coats out and saving enough for the bus fare home. This year there are also some Coronavirus precautions to consider.
While no mandatory Government restrictions remain, people are urged to take the following steps – both at the fair, and in day-to-day life before and after:
- Get both doses of the vaccine.
- Plan to visit at quieter times (avoiding Friday and Saturday evenings)
- Consider wearing a mask in any enclosed and crowded spaces
- Use card payments not cash where available
- Wash and sanitise hands frequently
- Continue taking regular no-symptom tests
- Isolate immediately and book a PCR test if you have a temperature, cough, or can’t taste or smell anything
- Remember anyone 16+ can have a Coronavirus vaccination. Book online now, or check locations of local pop-up sessions. Children aged 12-15 will now receive vaccines in school.
In addition, rides will be regularly sanitised; sanitiser stations will be available for the public; all council staff will be encouraged to wear masks; all fair staff will have access to on-site testing and vaccination. Routine pop-up no-symptom testing clinics will continue to be available in the city, details of which can be found on the council website and social media channels, and visitors will be able to collect kits on their way out of the fairground.
Cllr Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “Hull Fair is a Hull institution and I am delighted it returns this year, and we all need to play our part to keep it as safe as possible”.
Julia Weldon, Director of Public Health at Hull City Council, said: “We want people to be able to enjoy the fair. We also want our communities to be safe – particularly those who can’t have the vaccine for health reasons and are vulnerable. We can’t know who is protected and who isn’t, and who could become very poorly if they caught the virus.
“Having both doses of the vaccine, wearing a mask, routine testing and good hand hygiene all helps reduce the risk of catching and spreading Coronavirus. Critically, if you have symptoms or test positive, you must stay at home and isolate. Don’t go to the fair, or anywhere else. This is the same for absolutely everyone, including children and those who are fully vaccinated”.
Cllr Hester Bridges, Deputy Leader and Chair of Hull Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “The Fair is an annual highlight that many Hull people look forward to. Now we’re at the point where the countdown has really begun, we are urging people to have fun and stay safe. Taking the recommended steps really will help us keep everyone safe before, during and after the Fair, so please follow the advice and enjoy yourself safely”.
