YMCA Camp High Harbor said they learned that a counselor tested positive for Covid-19 on June 24. The counselor was immediately sent home, and camp leaders decided to close Camp High Harbor camps at both locations, according to a statement from Lauren Koontz, CEO and president of the YMCA of the Metro Atlanta.
“It should be noted that the counselor approved the mandatory safety protocols and did not show any symptoms upon arrival. In fact, all of the counselors and campers in attendance passed all mandatory assessments,” Koontz said in a statement.
Parents were notified of the positive test immediately, Koontz said, and they were given the option to pick up their children from Wednesday, June 24 to Saturday, June 27.
Still, Koontz said additional campers and staff have since tested positive for Covid-19.
The closure of the camp underscores the dangers of close contact and intimate social gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. The inherent purpose of the American summer camp is to foster closeness and connection between strangers, a goal that the pandemic makes difficult, if not impossible.
Koontz said the camp worked with health officials on its reopening.
“In preparing for camp, we collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and the American Association of Camps and follow the safety guidelines of the Georgia State Executive Order,” said Koontz.
In Georgia, at least 30 confirmed cases of the camp virus have been identified in Lake Burton and Lake Allatoona, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
“This number may change as the results are reported, or if a person who tested negative later develops symptoms,” officials told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
CNN contacted the Georgia Department of Health to confirm cases of the virus in the camp, but received no immediate response.
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