Iowa State Fair's COVID safety efforts cost up to $400K

COVID-19 mitigation efforts will cost the Iowa State Fair between $300K and $400K this year, organizers told Axios.

Quick take: Janitorial services account for much of the extra expense. Bathrooms and high-contact areas will be cleaned more frequently than in previous fairs.

• At least 100 hand sanitizer stations are set up this year. There were 40 in 2019.

What to watch: No masks are required and there are no capacity limits this year, but Iowa's fair neighbors to the north are reconsidering such measures.

• Minnesota's state fair — which last year cancelled its event before Iowa did — announced this week that an indoor mask mandate now appears likely.

Fun fact: The fair used 560 gallons of hand soap and 60 gallons of hand sanitizer in 2019.

• It'll be a lot higher this year, fair spokesperson Mindy Williamson predicts.