FOX News host Sean Hannity reprimanded young partiers filmed at the Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend for not wearing masks.
Said Hannity: “Look, I understand these are young people. Experts keep saying over and over they are at a much lower risk, but if they do get this and again there is no mask wearing here that I see. Not much at all. I see no social distancing. But if they get the virus and then are in contact with older and more vulnerable Americans, that could be a disaster for others. That’s why in the short period of time, it’s only temporary, if you can’t social distance, please wear the mask. Do it for your mom, your dad, your grandma, your grandpa. My humble advice. You don’t have to listen to me, I’m not a doctor.”
“But we also need to use some common sense,” he added. “You need to be cautious, take precautions because we don’t want it to spread to vulnerable people. We’ve seen what happens when we do.”
Hannity’s rebuke is notable given that a recent study linked FOX News consumption and non-compliance of social distancing guidelines: “The researchers looked at geospatial data derived from anonymized cell phone data and cable channel position by ZIP code around the country. They found that a 1% increase in Fox News viewership in a zip code reduced social distancing by 8.9%.”
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page issued a travel advisory on Monday after videos of massive crowds partying at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri went viral on social media.
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“The St. Louis County Department of Health is urging everyone who was there this weekend and ignored social distancing guidelines to self-quarantine for two weeks or until they have been tested and the result comes back negative,” KMOV4 reported.
Said Page in the release: “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. 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 denounced what she saw in the videos: “Now, these folks will be coming home to St. Louis and counties all over Missouri and the Midwest, raising concerns about the potential of more positive cases, hospitalizations, and tragically, deaths. It’s just deeply disturbing.”
