No way to control crowding at parties in Lake of Ozarks: mayor

Mobs of partiers who flocked to poolside bars at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri over Memorial Day weekend can’t be controlled — despite social distancing guidelines, a local mayor said.

John Olivarri, mayor of Osage Beach, spoke out about the viral videos that have emerged showing over-the-top crowds at bars and restaurants at the popular lakeside destination, the Kansas City Star reported.

“My concern is for our workers and whether some of the folks that have come down might be creating a health problem for the community, absolutely,” Olivarri said. “But the only other thing that you could do would be shut it down. I don’t know how you would shut down Lake of the Ozarks. There’s no way to control that.”

Several videos posted to Twitter sparked outrage over the weekend with hundreds of revelers tightly packed at various poolside bars.

“No covid concerns at the lake of the ozarks,” wrote KTVK anchor Scott Pasmore on Twitter along with footage of maskless people swimming and drinking in close quarters.

The mayor estimated that at least a dozen locations hosted the massive parties to mark the start of summer.

But he claimed there wouldn’t be enough manpower for local authorities to respond to every call about crowds over the holiday weekend.

“The businesses have some responsibility, but I’ll be real honest with you, no one thought that it was going to be easy trying to enforce some of the governor’s guidelines,” Olivarri told the newspaper.

Gov. Mike Parson has said that many businesses can reopen, including large venues, as long as they maintain about six feet between customers and staffers.

Camden County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols part of Osage Beach, said their hands are tied because there are no penalties for disregarding the rules, KSDK reported.