COVID-19 comes to Cuba, Mo., and hardly anyone is wearing a mask – By Jesse Bogan (St Louis Post-Dispatch) / Nov 12 2020
CUBA, Mo. — Missouri kept breaking coronavirus records this week, but it was hard to notice in rural areas like this one near the center of the Show-Me State.
As usual, buyers and sellers gathered inside a small, half dome at the Interstate Regional Stockyards to compete for the best cattle prices. The market played out amid the loud call of an auctioneer, and the occasional slap of the knee or cough that could signal another high bid for a calf.
At one point Tuesday afternoon, 35 people sat in the audience, some at a distance, others in groups. No one, including the employees, wore masks to potentially slow the spread of COVID-19.
They support Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s view of freedom on the matter. They trust people to stay home who don’t feel well or to quarantine if they’ve been exposed to the virus.
