A swath of southern Missouri is seeing a big rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations at just the wrong time — as tourists eager to get out after being cooped up for a year make their way to popular destinations such as Branson and Lake of the Ozarks.
Data from the state health department’s COVID-19 dashboard shows 206 people hospitalized with the virus in southwestern Missouri — nearly double the 111 hospitalizations on May 1.
Health experts cite two factors driving the surge: The presence of the faster-spreading Delta variant, and a reluctance among residents to get vaccinated.
