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Citing COVID-19 fears, Pa. Health Department sues in bid to stop 100K from attending Carlisle car show

Patriot-News - 6/17/2020

Carlisle Events officials were considering their options Wednesday morning after the state Department of Health, citing COVID-19 concerns, sued the company to try to stop it from holding its Spring Carlisle car show that is expected to draw 100,000 visitors.

Mike Garland, company spokesman, said the firm was declining comment on the suit filed in Commonwealth Court while awaiting advice from its lawyer.

Meanwhile, the show, a huge automotive flea market that draws visitors and vendors nationwide, was still scheduled to run Wednesday through Saturday at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. It had already been delayed by two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Staging the show could be disastrous, the Health Department claims.

“When individuals choose to ignore those safeguards--such as by holding an event anticipating 100,000 attendees--they put the lives of Pennsylvanians at risk and threaten to reverse the significant progress that has been made to resolve this crisis,” its petition to Commonwealth Court states. “That dangerous conduct must be stopped before it can occur.”

That cease and desist petition was filed Wednesday, a day after the Health Department sent Carlisle Events an email warning the firm it would be violating the 250-person attendance limit set under the emergency orders Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine has issued in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has been blamed for more than 6,200 deaths in Pennsylvania.

The warning came as Cumberland County eased into the “green” phase of reopening after three-month state-ordered lockdown. That is the least restrictive recovery phase and retailers and restaurants, small and large, are reopening with COVID-19 restrictions in place.

The Health Department says it went to court after receiving no response to its email to Carlisle Events. It is asking the court to issue an injunction requiring Carlisle Events to adhere to the 250-person attendance cap.

Carlisle Events has set COVID-19 rules for the show, including requiring attendees and vendors to wear face masks and maintain social distancing and beefed-up disinfecting measures.

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