Memorial Day Lake of the Ozarks crowd reportedly led to no new COVID-19 cases
by Alexandra Lonas | June 04, 2020
No new COVID-19 cases were documented after a crowded Memorial Day weekend at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri that drew widespread criticism.
“The answer, to our knowledge, is no,” said Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Department of Health and Senior Services in Missouri, at a press conference on Wednesday when asked if new cases have emerged since the large crowds convened, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
There was one person who was found to have the virus before the event and was likely infectious when he attended, the Camden County Health Department said.
Despite the infected person and the large crowds, no new COVID-19 cases were reported, which led Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to celebrate Missouri’s drop in cases, hospitalization, and its testing strategy. The amount of people in the hospital due to COVID-19 in Missouri has dropped by 40% this past month, Parson said.
A new strategy that Parson began two weeks ago was to test more asymptomatic people and people who frequent hot spots like meatpacking facilities. Missouri was able to test 8,000 people everyday last week. The death toll from COVID-19 in the state is 786.
“Our hospitals are not overwhelmed. Our positivity rate continues to decline. People are recovering, and we are moving forward,” Parson said.
