Central Illinois Summer Camp Leads To Another COVID19 Outbreak Among Teens And Staff Members

Health authorities have said that nearly 80 teenagers and adult staff members at Central Illinois summer camp have tested positive for COVID19. The incident has led to another outbreak that has affected people living across three states. The officials from the Illinois Department Of Public Health (IDPH) have said that the Crossing Camp in Schuyler County has not been keeping records of vaccination status for campers and staff members. The authorities at the summer camp have not even made mask-wearing compulsory. The Crossing Camp officials have not commented on the incident yet. As per the report, almost all campers and staff members have been eligible for vaccination and only a few of them have been given the vaccine. The officials of the IDPH have said that young adults who have not been immunized have been admitted to the hospital after testing positive for COVID19.

Health officials have said that only 46.1 percent of people have been vaccinated in the state. As per the latest data,  many young adults are dodging COVID19 shots and not aptly following COVID-appropriate behavior. It has created an alarming situation across the state. The concerning Delta variant as well is circulating in the country more widely at present. The IDPH director Ngozi Ezike has said that the risk of COVID19 might be low among kids but even a mild case can lead to long-term health issues among children. Health experts have said that young people who have been infected with the virus without any major symptoms of the disease can still transmit the virus among other people. Such people can infect those who are not even eligible for vaccination and those who have not been able to build strong immunity even after vaccination. The officials from the IDPH have said that two people from the summer camp have attended a close-by conference that has led to 11 positive cases of COVID19 at the Crossing Camp in Illinois. It has been a week-long summer camp that has been conducted for eighth-graders to graduating seniors.

A forthcoming camp for fourth and fifth-grade students has been rescheduled to August due to the recent outbreak. The officials have said that the Schuyler County Health Department has been working in association with camp authorities to mitigate the situation. The Schuyler County Department of Health has confirmed that the Crossing Camp has been following COVID19 related guidelines suggested by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).