BRANSON, Mo. (AP) – A surge in coronavirus cases is proving worrisome in the popular southwestern Missouri tourist destination of Branson.Confirmed cases of COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, have more than doubled in less than two weeks in Taney County, where Branson is located, the Kansas City Star reported. On June 26, the county had recorded just 43 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic. That figure has more than doubled since then, standing at 107 cases and two COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday.Branson, with its wide array of shows and attractions, is among the most popular tourist destinations in the Midwest. Community leaders are now stressing the need for face coverings, though they have stopped short of requiring people to wear them.
“We knew they would increase once we opened back up,” said Sheila Wyatt, a Taney County commissioner. “But we didn’t know it would be so quickly. … We have to do what we can to keep the numbers down. I believe the desire is that people will be responsible on their own and heed the advice of the experts.”
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