Hundreds Enjoy Huge Memorial Day Pool Party In The US

Hundreds of people packed into a Memorial Day pool party this weekend, appearing to ignore social distancing guidelines.

Footage has been shared on social media showing countless revellers soaking up the sun at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.

But despite a sign urging visitors to keep at least six-feet away from each other, in many of the clips posted online they fail to do so.

According to reports, the governor had eased lockdown restrictions in the state, though it was alongside the understanding that some measures, such as social distancing, would be adhered to.

Sharing a video of the busy scenes, CBS reporter Scott Pasmore wrote: "No Covid concerns at the Lake of the Ozarks."

Speaking earlier this week about preparations ahead of Memorial Day, Becky Unger, who works at Golden Horseshoe Condo Rentals, said she hoped people would follow the social distancing measures.

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She told the the Kansas City Star: "I think it's going to be a busy weekend. I hope that when people come they will be cautious and they will social distance. We don't want an outbreak in our area."

But it's not just Missouri that has witnessed a huge influx of visitors this weekend. Further east in Maryland, large crowds were spotted on the boardwalks of Ocean City.

And over in Texas, Big Rivers Waterpark in New Caney defied the governor Greg Abbott's order for them to remain closed, with 1,300 people reportedly queuing to enter.

Speaking about the easing of lockdown measures, Dr Deborah Birx, a leading physician, told ABC News that it was absolutely vital people followed the guidelines.

She said: "During this reopening, social gatherings should not be more than 10 people - even if they're outside.

"We know being outside does help. We know sun does help in killing the virus, but that doesn't change the fact that people need to be responsible and maintain that distance.

"We want to be clear all the time that social distance all the time is absolutely critical. And if you can't social distance while you're outside, you must wear a mask."

According to figures, there are now more than 97,000 confirmed deaths from coronavirus in the US, with more than 1.6 million people having contracted the deadly disease.

This comes a few days after thousands of Brits flocked to UK beaches today to soak up the sun.

Topics: Interesting, Coronavirus, US News, Health

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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