Branson’s mayor is urging the community to take COVID-19 seriously. Edd Akers calls the latest numbers “sobering.”
In a letter to the community Akers says, as of July 20, Taney County had 152 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three deaths. As of August 13, the county had 490 cases and 11 deaths.
Akers says everyone should wear masks, wash their hands often and practice social distancing.
Despite criticism from some residents about a face covering requirement in Branson, Akers says he’s heard from people outside of the city who are happy the ordinance is in place. He says they’ve told him they feel they can now safely visit Branson.
But, according to Akers, he’s concerned about areas of the Midwest and south that have had large increases in COVID-19 cases. And those are areas Branson draws visitors from.