RUSHVILLE, Ill. — A COVID-19 outbreak at a central Illinois summer camp resulted in at least 85 coronavirus cases among campers and adult staff, as well as attendees of a nearby conference, the Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed Monday.
“The majority of the 85 COVID-19 cases associated with the youth camp are among teens,” IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement.
“The perceived risk to children may seem small, but even a mild case of COVID-19 can cause long-term health issues. Additionally, infected youth who may not experience severe illness can still spread the virus to others, including those who are too young to be vaccinated or those who don’t build the strong expected immune response to the vaccine,” Ezike added.
According to the health department, the outbreak occurred in mid-June but resulted in only one hospitalization involving an unvaccinated young adult, WMAQ reported.
The department also confirmed that the camp was neither checking vaccination status of campers or staff nor requiring masks be worn indoors, the TV station reported.
The facility, identified by the Chicago Tribune as the Crossing Camp in Rushville, was following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for cleaning and disinfection, the Schuyler County Health Department said in a June 22 statement.
Any adults or children who visited the camp between June 13 and June 17 are advised to get tested for COVID-19, the agency stated.
Meanwhile, 11 COVID-19 cases were detected at the nearby conference, and health officials confirmed that 70% of the conference cases occurred among unvaccinated people, the Tribune reported.
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