Individual Tests Positive For Coronavirus After Attending Lake Of The Ozarks Memorial Day Party

The individual, who attended the highly publicized party in the Lake of the Ozarks, started experiencing symptoms the next day

Over Memorial Day weekend, images and videos of a packed pool party at a popular Lake of the Ozarks spot, Backwater Jack’s Bar & Grill in Osage Beach, were splashed across the media. In the videos, thousands of people appeared to be jammed into a pool area, sans protective face coverings, and most definitely not practicing any sort of the social distancing measures recommended by the CDC. Now, according to the Camden County Health Department, a Boone County resident who visited the Lake of the Ozarks area over the holiday weekend has tested positive for the novel coronavirus — and they were most likely contagious while they were there.

According to a press release from the Camden County Health Department, the individual arrived at the vacation hotspot on Saturday, May 23, and “developed illness” — aka symptoms — on Sunday.

The individual “was likely incubating illness and possibly infectious at the time of the visit,” the health department added, releasing a timeline of possible COVID-19 exposure areas “due to the need to inform mass numbers of unknown people.”

While the Boone County Health Department is still investigating, Camden County — home of the Lake of the Ozarks — claims no cases had been reported this week. However, after infection, it can take an individual up to 14 days to develop symptoms.

After video clips and photos of the party surfaced, St. Louis and Kansas City regional health officials issued a travel advisory and even urged all attendees to self-quarantine, the Springfield News-Leader reported.

“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,” County Executive Sam 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.”

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson tweeted about the incident on Monday, saying that while many safely enjoyed the lake this weekend “too many did not,” and warned about asymptomatic spread.

“If you were part of a group that didn’t socially distance or wear masks, please, for the health of your family, coworkers and friends, stay home for the next 14 days,” the mayor said in a tweet.

Information about COVID-19 is rapidly changing, and Scary Mommy is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. With news being updated so frequently, some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For this reason, we are encouraging readers to use online resources from local public health departments, the Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization to remain as informed as possible.