As COVID cases rise in Branson, so does concern that it’s not being taken seriously
Spend a few minutes in this small southwest Missouri tourist town and it’s easy to forget that we are in the thick of a pandemic.
Traffic on the 76 strip was backed up for blocks earlier this week, and kids along the route played miniature golf and rode bumper boats. The Branson Ferris Wheel slowly spun as a helicopter rapidly ascended nearby for a sightseeing tour.
On Main Street, many mask-less visitors crammed into cafes and meandered in and out of antique shops. Inside Andy B’s Bowl Social, servers — who didn’t wear masks — delivered food to bowlers.
And down the way, employees at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen went without masks and some lunch customers were seated close to others.
It’s no wonder there’s brewing frustration after coronavirus cases in Taney County have jumped, going from 15 cases to 40 in less than two weeks. Neighboring Stone County has seen cases rise as well.
“It’s in our restaurants, it’s in our schools,” local resident Nate Horsman told the Board of Aldermen at Tuesday night’s meeting. “And it’s out there in our community and there’s no sign of it slowing down.”
On Wednesday morning, the Taney County Health Department released information about its 34th coronavirus case. Less than six hours later, another email revealed cases 35, 36 and 37, with a reminder from health director Lisa Marshall:
“Taney County Health department is asking that everyone wear a face covering or mask, follow social distancing guidelines and stay home if you are sick.”
The numbers don’t come close to urban areas, but Branson is a city of less than 12,000 residents, and the total doesn’t include visitors who test positive but are counted in their home counties.
Thursday afternoon, health officials announced cases 38 and 39. One of those people had been to seven locations from June 12-19 without wearing a mask. The second one had been to a local Walmart on June 13 without a mask.
Four hours later came news of the 40th case of COVID-19 in Taney County. Again, the person had not worn a mask while visiting two locations.
In mid June, after an increase in cases, Marshall urged everyone to wear masks. That plea appears to have had little effect on some.
One county resident posted on the health department’s Facebook page earlier this week that “everywhere I go I’m like the only one wearing a mask. And then people stare at you.”
Another resident followed with: “Shut the town back down before it gets worse. Clearly people are not taking it serious!”
Health officials regularly release information on possible exposure related to tourists who tested positive after returning home.
Since June 8, the health department has released five possible exposure risks from people who had visited Taney County while they were symptomatic.
An email Wednesday detailed how one visitor had gone to five locations in Taney County from June 15-20 while wearing a mask. That same day, the health department detailed another possible exposure June 20-23 after a symptomatic person visited another five locations, including two places where the person wasn’t wearing a mask.
On June 18, the health departments in Taney and Stone counties issued a joint release about a visitor who went to a Panera Bread for breakfast on June 15 without wearing a mask and then spent several hours at Silver Dollar City. The amusement park, located in Stone County, requires visitors ages 3 and up to wear masks.
Early in the pandemic, the Branson area worked to stay ahead of the spread. The city implemented restrictions before Missouri Gov. Mike Parson issued a statewide stay-at-home order.
“Life went on with empty hotels, empty attractions and empty streets,” Horsman told board members Tuesday night. “It sucked and people suffered. But we as a town made it through. Then we opened the gates and here they came and here we are now.
“The tourists simply don’t care. They want to come here on vacation, they want to have fun, enjoy everything Branson has to offer and they want to go home,” he said. “They don’t want to hear about that damned coronavirus.”
Horsman implored city leaders to take action, specifically to require people to wear masks, a measure that has been enforced in other cities and has been shown to slow the spread of the virus.
“Silver Dollar City did it and haven’t they always been a North star for Branson?” he asked. “If they can do it, why can’t we?”
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 3:27 PM.
