Musikfest visitors say they feel safe as COVID-19 cases ramp up in Northampton County
Written by Victoria Scialfa on August 9, 2021
Musikfest visitors say they feel safe as COVID-19 cases ramp up in Northampton County
By Megan Frank
August 9, 2021
Thousands of people came to Bethlehem over the weekend for Musikfest.
Billed as the nation’s largest, free outdoor music festival, the performances are taking place in an area with a high rate of COVID spread. Coronavirus cases in Northampton County have doubled in the past week and continue to climb.
Still, festival-goers say they feel safe being out and about and most showed up for the first full weekend without masks. Attendees like Lauren Firth of Coplay and her boyfriend say they’re not worried.
“We’re both vaccinated and all of the people that we care about are vaccinated, so we feel good about being out and about,” Firth said.
Brian Dominic of Easton and his wife were among the minority of people who wore masks.
“My wife’s a cancer survivor in 2020,” Dominic said. “We’re being precautionary and wearing our masks. Only taking them down to have a drink. I absolutely have vaccine confidence.”
Some public health experts are concerned the festival could cause COVID outbreaks.
Festival organizers recommend people mask up at indoor events, but no mask mandate is in place. Musikfest runs each day through the rest of the week and ends Sunday, Aug. 15.
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