With no Missouri or local COVID restrictions, Branson health director has urgent plea
Missouri no longer has a list of COVID-19 restrictions in place.
But at least one health director in the southwest part of the state hopes people in Branson still act as if the restrictions hadn’t been lifted Tuesday.
Coming off a weekend that saw coronavirus cases in Taney County jump from 15 to 24, Lisa Marshall is pleading with locals and tourists coming from many states across the country:
Still social distance in and around Branson, Marshall asks. Stay home if you’re sick. And wear masks, especially in crowded areas.
“If we are all are wearing face coverings, we are all protecting each other,” said Marshall, Taney County’s health director. “We believe very firmly that everybody has a personal responsibility for themselves and for those around them.
“We our asking our community for help right now. ... Take these precautionary measures so what happened this last weekend is not our new normal.”
In early May, the Branson Board of Alderman voted to remove city COVID-19 restrictions and follow state requirements. So at this point, there are no restrictions in place.
Since the Memorial Day weekend, when much of Branson reopened, COVID-19 cases have more than doubled. On May 24, Taney County had 12 cases. That jumped to 24 after Sunday’s tally alone added eight.
Then, on Monday night, Marshall sent out a release announcing the county’s 25th case. That doesn’t count the out-of-town visitors who may have vacationed in Branson and were diagnosed once they got home.
“We’re concerned about those numbers,” she said. “But before we jump to strong conclusions, we are going to keep an eye on what’s going on this week.”
Tuesday afternoon, Marshall’s department confirmed the 26th case for Taney County.
On the city’s website, Branson Mayor Edd Akers posted his “weekly message” to the community on Friday. He urged residents to stay the course and still take precautions after the state restrictions are removed.
“Please remain vigilant and practice what we know will keep it at bay,” Akers wrote. “This is a real disease and is not going away anytime soon. A friend of mine who works in Branson has recently been tested positive for COVID-19.”
Even with state restrictions lifted, some businesses in the Branson area aren’t going all the way back to the days before COVID.
At Dick’s 5 & 10 in downtown Branson, co-owner Steve Hartley said he would slightly increase capacity in the store starting Tuesday, but crowds will still be limited. Masked employees count the number of people entering the store and have made candy, bottled water and fans available for guests waiting outside.
“Now we think we have the funnest line anywhere,” he said.
Silver Dollar City, in Stone County, opened to the general public on Monday. Over the weekend, the park welcomed season ticket holders.
Aside from limiting numbers, the park is taking visitors’ temperatures and asking health screening questions. It also requires masks for all staff and most guests. Staff are sanitizing rides and have revamped all food service operations to limit contact. While a few have grumbled about masks, most have followed the park’s rules on that front, said spokeswoman Lisa Rau.
“There are people who really appreciate these steps and the measures we’ve taken. And they’re doing their part,” she said. “We truly believe that the steps we’re taking are designed to respect one another. They’re designed to keep our neighbors safe.”
Currently, the park is planning for more reopenings: the White Water park opens Monday. And the Showboat Branson Belle plans to open next week. Mystic River Falls, a new $23 million water ride said to feature the steepest drop in the Western Hemisphere, will also open this summer.
Rau wouldn’t say whether Silver Dollar City had plans to close if the number of cases were to spike in the area.
“I’m not going to speculate on the future,” she said. “We’re all in this together. Everyone’s watching. Do we wish things were back to normal? Of course we do, but everybody does. “
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 2:53 PM.
