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Copake camp has COVID-19 outbreak

Jul 22, 2021 2:33 pm

Christopher Cicchiello reports in the Times Union that 23 people under the age of 12 at Camp Pontiac, a seven-week coed sleepaway camp in Copake, have contracted COVID-19. The Columbia County Department of Health sent a team of nurses to the camp to evaluate the outbreak, after it was discovered July 17. The infected campers are now at home or isolating at the camp if they came from out of state. About 65 other campers there have been sent home to quarantine and should return after two weeks. Even with the outbreak, Columbia County is still reporting only 14 current cases, as they are only counting the two Camp Pontiac youth who are actually from Columbia County. “We were sort of rolling along with zero and one [cases],” said Jack Mabb, the Columbia County health director. “Today we have six [new cases] as part of the spike that is hitting the Capital Region. Columbia is a much smaller county than let’s say Albany County, so with our numbers proportionately, we’re seeing a spike just like they are, and just like much of the rest of the Hudson Valley.” Mabb praised Camp Pontiac officials for quickly addressing the situation. “I think that they are going to get a quick grip on this and I’m glad to see the camps open,” Mabb said. Only 57 percent of Columbia County residents are fully vaccinated currently. Vaccines for those under 12 are not expected until the winter. The Associated Press reports that COVID-19 cases nearly tripled in the U.S. over the last two weeks. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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