Partygoer Who Attended Ozarks Memorial Day Gathering in Missouri Tests Positive for Coronavirus
Missouri health officials are warning those who attended the Memorial Day weekend parties at the Lake of Ozarks after one person tested positive for coronavirus — and may have been infected throughout the weekend.
A Boone County resident was reported to be at multiple bars during the May 23-24 holiday weekend and began to "develop illness on Sunday," according to a Camden County Health Department press release.
Officials added that the resident was "likely incubating illness and possibly infectious at the time of the visit."
In order to alert the "mass number of unknown people" who attended the parties in Osage Beach — from which videos went viral as people ignored social distancing guidelines put forth amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — health officials released a detailed timeline of the subject's location throughout the weekend.
On May 23, the partygoer was to Backwater Jack's Bar & Grill between approximately 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. local time, and again between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. The subject also visited Shady Gators and Lazy Gators Pool from 5:40 p.m. through 9 p.m.
The following day, the unidentified patient was seen at Buffalo Wild Wings from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. before visiting Shady Gators from approximately 2:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. The person then took a taxi from Shady Gators to a private residence around 7 p.m., officials reported.
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Health officials are currently conducting an investigation with Lake Area Health Departments and there have been no additional cases reported in Camden County, according to the release.
Anyone who may have been at the subject's location is urged to "monitor for symptoms" including fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell.
"If you develop symptoms, please contact your physician, and isolate until test results are known. Please Stay Home If You Are Sick!" officials added.
News of the positive partygoer comes three days after the St. Louis County Department of Public Health asked anybody who attended the parties to "self-quarantine for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result for COVID-19."
“Recent news reports indicate that many people, including those from the St. Louis region, did not follow any protective practices over the holiday weekend,” the public health department said in a statement after footage of the partying surfaced. “Many members of the public and employers have asked how to ensure that people who do not follow social distancing practices do not spread COVID-19 to others when they return to St. Louis and to their workplace.”
In a news release announcing the advisory, County Executive Dr. Sam Page said "reckless behavior" is "setting us back substantially from the progress we have made in slowing the spread of COVID-19."
“I encourage everyone to follow the Department of Public Health advisory to determine a safe path forward in the workplace," Page added.
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