Memorial Day draws crowds

The holiday weekend lured many Americans to crowded recreational areas despite coronavirus-related guidelines for social distancing. In Missouri, people packed together—often without masks—at bars and restaurants at the Lake of the Ozarks. A video on social media showed people crammed into a pool at the popular vacation spot. Authorities in the Tampa, Fla., area closed full parking lots to keep large crowds from growing even larger on Gulf Coast beaches. Other Memorial Day celebrations, however, were more subdued or moved online.

Where do things stand? Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, told ABC News’ This Week she was “very concerned” about the lack of social distancing as people celebrated over the Memorial Day weekend. The United States is climbing toward 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, with nearly 1.7 million confirmed cases and close to 380,000 recoveries.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report about the debate over whether shutdowns are the best way to fight the pandemic.