Art Association cancels show due to COVID concerns

Havre Art Association announced Monday it was canceling its annual art show due to concerns about spreading COVID-19.

“We are witnessing an increase in COVID cases among our families and friends,” a release from the association said. “The Havre Art Show brings together many people for a leisurely time to view local art work, visit with folks from our area, and generally linger and wander and have a lovely time. However, to be responsible to ourselves and to Havre and the surrounding area, we have decided to cancel The annual Havre Art Association’s fall show as there is high potential that our dear show would be a COVID-spreading event.”

The release noted that the event has been canceled only a few times in the 50-some years since it started, and all cancellations were due to the COVID-19 virus.

“Take care of yourselves and your community,” the release concludes.

Hill County Health Officer Kim Berg said this morning that she hadn’t heard about the cancellation, and if the association members believe that there is risk related to holding the event, she appreciates their reason for canceling.

Berg said, based on the data she’s seen, it doesn’t seem like there’s been an uptick in COVID-19 recently.

However, she said, COVID-19 has become tricky to keep track of because fewer and fewer people test for it or report their symptoms when they do.

She said there are only three active cases in the county that have been reported and the severity of the symptoms she’s seen indicate that the virus is becoming comparable to influenza.

She said it’s very likely that COVID-19 will become a seasonal illness that comes up every year around this time.

“I can almost guarantee that we have more COVID-19 than I know about through testing,” she said.

Berg said people still can report symptoms and test results to them, but they’re not required to.

She said it’s important to remember that COVID-19 is still out there, and there are people who are at risk of serious complications if they get it, so people should consider what they do if they start showing symptoms, and that applies to any kind of communicable illness.

She said if people feel ill they need to stay home and consider not attending events, which will help everyone stay healthy and avoid the possibility of getting someone seriously ill.

She said people can also wear masks if they choose, which can help prevent the spread of illness and provide some protection to the wearer, especially those who are vulnerable to serious complications.

“That is doing your part to protect the community and vulnerable members of it, but it also protects you,” she said.