Credit Michele Skalicky
The City of Branson will no longer require masks in public spaces as of this Friday. In March, the Board of Aldermen voted to end the mask mandate on May 24th. But yesterday, the board voted in favor of an ordinance sponsored by Branson’s newly elected mayor, Larry Milton, to end the requirement earlier.
According to a news release, Milton sponsored the bill because of the declining cases of COVID-19 in Missouri and because 23.3 percent of Stone County residents and 19.7 percent of Taney County residents have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The city is encouraging local businesses to mandate their own safety requirements for staff and customers.
Newly sworn-in Branson Mayor Larry Milton started his two-year term by fulfilling a key campaign promise: the repeal of Branson s public health masking order, first enacted July 31 after extensive discussion amid rising COVID-19 case counts.
On Tuesday night, the Branson Board of Aldermen voted 6-0 in favor of a public masking repeal to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday, modifying a bill Milton introduced earlier that called for immediate repeal.
Aldermen also considered a possible repeal in 7 to 10 days, in a bid to give businesses time to prepare for changes, but settled on a timeframe of roughly 48 hours.
The end of mandated masking in Branson was already on the books before Tuesday night s vote.
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