NAFEC cancels Air Show
EL CENTRO — Saturday’s 50th annual Naval Air Facility El Centro Air Show, which draws hundreds of spectators throughout the county has been canceled due concerns over novel coronavirus.
This decision came after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an order that all mass gatherings of 250 or more people to be canceled or suspended. The air show would have easily exceed that number of people.
The NAFEC website stated that out serious concern for the safety and health of its sailors, families and patrons, the air show had to be canceled. The Navy base urged everyone to follow the guidelines and protocols put forth by public health officials.
NAFEC Public Information Officer Kristopher Haugh said the air show is being canceled for this year, not postponed. The base previously had announced there will not be an air show in 2021.
Speaking at a press conference Thursday, county Board of Supervisors Chairman Luis Plancarte said he wants to the public to know everyone in the county is doing everything in their power to minimize the disease’s impact.
He said the county’s focus remains the health and safety for the residents.
“The county of Imperial does not believe we are immune to the risk,” he said, adding this is the reason a local emergency was proclaimed last week before being ratified by the supervisors on Tuesday.
Dr. Steve Munday said he realizes this is a difficult time for the families of the two people who presumptively have tested positive for the virus.
“I understand this is hard for the community,” he said. “There is a lot of concern because there is a lot we don’t know.”
Munday also said the husband and wife who tested positive for the virus contracted it while vacationing in Florida and brought it back to the county, so to date there has not been any instance where a person contracted the disease locally.
Schools are also expected to remain open, at least for right now, though that decision will be made by the districts.
“We have not made a decision on whether to close schools because we have no evidence of community transmission,” he said.
Besides all mass gatherings of 250 or more people being cancelled in the state, the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions should limit their gatherings to 10 or fewer people, officials advised.
County Executive Officer Tony Rouhotas Jr. said he can ensure the public everyone in the county is working for the safe health of the community.
Rouhotas requested county employees to follow safe practices, like washing hands, staying home when sick and covering mouths when coughing or sneezing.
“All of the simple measures will diminish our risk,” he said.
Munday said COVID-19 has many of the same symptoms of influenza, so looking at whether there has been an exposure to the virus, like travel, is critical.
“If it does start circulating we want to find out early on,” he said.
Munday also said there is no plan at this time to shut down local public transportation.
Munday said there has been come confusion regarding testing for COVID-19 and the number of test kits available.
People, who are seriously ill or are at risk need to be tested, and those individuals who don’t have any symptoms do not need to be tested, he said.
When the tests are administered to the necessary cases, there are enough to handle the crisis locally Munday said.