Crowded Ozarks Memorial Day Party Sparks Travel Advisory, Self-Quarantine Directive from Health Officials

By Tommy ChristopherMay 26th, 2020, 11:04 am
 

Viral video (pun intended) of a jam-packed pool party at the Lake of the Ozarks has prompted a travel advisory and a call from health officials for attendees to self-quarantine for two weeks.

If Twitter is any indication, many Netflix viewers learned for the first time that the Ozark region is a real place this weekend, and not for the greatest of reasons. On Saturday, videos of a jam-packed and social distancing-free pool party in Osage Beach, Missouri were posted on social media, and became the talk of Twitter.

The revelry was a hot topic over the long holiday weekend as states across the country try to ease lockdown orders while being warned to use caution in order to prevent a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths.

And on Monday, the St. Louis County Department of Public Health issued a lengthy statement in response to the gathering, entitled “St. Louis County Issues Travel Advisory After Social Distancing Rules Flouted at Lake of the Ozarks,” which urged “those who ignored protective practices to self-quarantine for 14 days or until testing negative for COVID-19.”

The statement included a strong rebuke from County Executive Dr. Sam Page:

Recent news reports indicate that many people, including those from the St. Louis region, did not follow any protective practices over the holiday weekend. Large crowds at Lake of the Ozarks showed no efforts to follow social distancing practices essential to curbing the spread of the virus. As a result, many members of the public and employers have asked St. Louis County how to best proceed in safely opening their businesses when social distancing practices are not being followed.

“This reckless behavior endangers countless people and risks setting us back substantially from the progress we have made in slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said County Executive Page. “I encourage everyone to follow the Department of Public Health advisory to determine a safe path forward in the workplace.”

Watch the clip above via Max Baker.

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