Safety Update
August 10, 2021
The pandemic is not yet over. The rise of the highly contagious Delta variant is upon us, and, just like last year, hospitals in some states are at capacity. More is yet to come, and no one, even the CDC, can predict exactly what. It’s likely boosters will become available to offer further boost the immune system, but no one yet knows just when.
Fortunately, those who have been vaccinated are at almost zero risk of being permanently incapacitated or dying from contracting the virus. For the minority who do get sick, it’s like getting the flu. The unvaccinated are at high risk for becoming sick, and it’s a guarantee many who do will be hospitalized, and some will die. Some are dying right now. Almost everyone patient in the intensive care wards in all 50 states is unvaccinated.
Scientists have recently learned those who are vaxxed are capable of carrying the virus while remaining asymptomatic. The efficacy of social distancing and wearing masks at reducing transmission has been proven, and many governments and commercial establishments are reinstituting mandates.
We at Fantasia Fair have said all along we will take guidance from Federal, state, and local authorities, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. We about 70 days out from the event, and conditions are still apt to change, but for now, Provincetown is requiring masks and social distancing when indoors, and many innkeepers and restaurateurs are requiring proof of vaccination or recent proof of negativity as a condition for entering their establishments.
We were not inclined to require proof of vaccination or Covid tests, but as things now stand, those who are unvaccinated will find it difficult or impossible to gain entry to the many venues the Fair uses, and perhaps even to the inns they booked. If you are unvaccinated and plan to come, please know you are likely to find yourself excluded. It is not and never has been our intention to exclude the unvaccinated, but factors outside our control means they will be excluded from most Fair activities.
If you are unvaccinated, you still have time (barely) to get one of the several vaccines available and acquire the documentation that will get you into the Fair. We urge you to do so. If you won’t or can’t, we suggest you cancel your Fair registration and lodging while you can still get a refund. We are past the point of full refund, but you can still get a partial refund, and you have the option of rolling your registration over to 2022.
If you are vaccinated, please know we and Provincetown will do everything we can to keep you and your loved ones safe. Provincetown’s response to the news earlier this summer of vaccinated people acquiring the virus has led to greatly decreased positivity rates. We believe P’Town will be as safe as any other city in the United States.
We urge everyone once again to bring their vaccination cards and additionally, to take photos of the cards and keep them on your phones. If you arrive in Provincetown without proof of vaccination, you will be considered by the town to be unvaccinated. We (and you!) certainly don’t want that.
You will need to show your cards to your innkeeper and, just once, to us, when you register. Fair Director Dee Lavalle has arranged with our various venues for the Fantasia Fair badge to serve as proof of vaccination. This will save you the trouble of digging out your vax cards and showing them every time you enter the Crown & Anchor or our other locations. Brilliant, Dee!
We want you (and us!) to have a fun and safe Fantasia Fair. To make that happen, make that copy of your vax card and keep it on your phone–and bring your original card as well.
We’ll see you in October. And thank you, everyone.
Dallas Denny
Board Chair, Intl. Transgender Educ. Assn. (Fantasia Fair’s nonprofit name)
