Bass Pro temporarily closes Springfield store

Bass Pro Shops has temporarily closed its flagship Springfield store amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Spokesman Jack Wlezien said the closure, announced yesterday, is in response to the city of Springfield and Greene County's stay-at-home order that went into effect on Thursday. Nonessential businesses in the order are those that offer entertainment, recreation and retail.

Wlezien could not be reached for follow-up by deadline on how long the 621 W. Sunshine St. store is slated to be closed. The city-county stay-at-home order lasts 30 days.

Bass Pro is operating its other stores with voluntary restrictions, Wlezien said, including reducing hours, limiting locations to 50 or less customers and implementing free curbside pickup services.

"We are responding to a patchwork of guidelines and restrictions across the country, so different stores are impacted in different ways," he said via email.

The Springfield store already had reduced hours and limited customers ahead of the stay-at-home order, according to a news release. Officials also previously announced the temporary closure of Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department previously indicated the fourth local individual who tested positive for COVID-19 had contact with international travelers who visited Bass Pro and its Hemingway's restaurant.

Bass Pro has 169 outdoor retail stores under its name and the Cabela's brand, according to its website.