CANTON, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player above is from a previous, unrelated story.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that it will recommend the use of face masks indoors at Enshrinement Week events, regardless of vaccination status.
The recommendation is in accordance with the latest health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those guidelines apply to areas with "substantial" transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Stark County has now entered that category, said James Adams, Health Commissioner of Canton City Public Health.
“This policy recommendation is not made lightly,” Adams said Monday, acknowledging that Stark County residents who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus have not been asked to wear a face mask for several weeks. “We must lead by example and model the behaviors that will help our community add layered protection for the prevention of the spread of COVID.”
Adams said Canton City Public Health “will be monitoring the situation closely and will change our mask recommendations as soon as practicable.”
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce will encourage the wearing of masks indoors at events such as the Hall of Fame Fashion Show and Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Ceremony, and the Enshrinees’ Roundtable Sunday. Several public and private events scheduled inside the Hall of Fame over the next week will be subject to revision. Guests at the Hall of Fame Museum also will be informed of the CDC’s recommendation.
The recommendation does not apply to outdoor events, such as Play Football First Play, The Canton Repository Grand Parade and the full slate inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium – the Hall of Fame Game, Centennial Class of 2020 Enshrinement, Class of 2021 Enshrinement and Concert for Legends. Since these events are outdoors, they are not affected by the directive from the CDC.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below is from a previous story about COVID-19.