St. Louis County Executive Sam Page urged attendees to quarantine after attending packed Lake of the Ozarks festivities over Memorial Day weekend and issued a travel advisory for the area, KMOV reports.
The St. Louis County Department of Health urged everyone from the area who attended the lake bash to self-quarantine for two weeks or until they test negative for the virus.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons allowed businesses to reopen earlier this month, though he required all people to stay six feet away from one another.
“We’ve had such an influx of people down here at the lake, we’re just overwhelmed,” a local police official said.
Viral video shows packed crowd:
Video of the Ozarks pools went viral over the weekend as social media users expressed dismay that the massive crowd was ignoring social distancing guidelines as cases continue to rise.
"Anyone who didn't practice CDC, DHSS, and KCMO Health Department social distancing guidance should self quarantine for 14 days if they have any compassion for others," wrote Dr. Rex Archer, the head of the director of the Kansas City Health Department.
Travel advisory issued:
The St. Louis Health Department also issued a travel advisory as "some workers return to their jobs after ignoring social distance practices outlined by public health experts to protect against COVID-19."
“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,” Page said in a statement. “I encourage everyone to follow the Department of Public Health advisory to determine a safe path forward in the workplace.”
