Local and state health officials in Missouri have urged citizens to comply with social distancing regulations after resort patrons flouted the preventative measures during Memorial Day weekend parties.
Video circulated on social media showed packed pools, lakes, bars and restaurants as both local residents and out of town visitors took advantage of the lifted shelter in place orders and a long holiday weekend to gather in large groups.
One video of a crowded pool area posted on Twitter by a local news reporter was captioned, “No COVID concerns at the Lake of the Ozarks.”
Lake of the Ozarks is a resort area in central Missouri that draws from a large part of the central United States.
On Monday, the nearby St. Louis County Department of Public Health issued a travel advisory and the top Kansas City health official encouraged those who did not observe social distancing to self-quarantine for 14 days or until they test negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
“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 St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.
Missouri has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases of 7.9% over seven recent days. Missouri lifted stay-at-home orders earlier in May, but a state order still requires 6-foot social distancing.
The sheriff of Camden County, the area where Lake of the Ozarks is located, said that failing to social distance is not a crime and that law enforcement lacks the authority to force compliance.
"We expect residents and visitors alike to exhibit personal responsibility when at the lake," Sheriff Tony Helms said.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams is urging young people in particular to be aware of the risks and remember others who may be more vulnerable.
“When they [young people] then carry the virus and transmit it to a more vulnerable person, this is when we tend to see the long-lasting and tragic impact of these decisions that are being made," Williams said in a statement.
St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, agreed, calling such behavior "irresponsible and dangerous” and expressed concern about its influence on cases in St. Louis County.