An Ontario Summer Camp Is Dealing With An Outbreak Of COVID-19

An Ontario day camp announced a positive case of COVID-19 among its campers, just days before kids head back to school. The Waterloo camp's COVID-19 outbreak consists of only one child. However, this is still considered an outbreak by public health authorities.

The announcement came from Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region’s Commissioner of Public Health and Emergency Services, in her media briefing on August 25.

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"There is currently one outbreak declared in long-term care and there is one new outbreak in a day camp," she said.

One case in a day camp or daycare constitutes an outbreak, the release stated. However, the camp will not be closing.

The region will not be announcing which summer camp the outbreak occurred in.

"Camps can be relatively small in terms of numbers, so we want to make sure we can protect privacy," Wang said.

"The number of children who were potentially affected is not a significant number," she said.

According to CBC, a mandatory mask policy was put in place at the summer camp. At this moment, officials do not know whether the child contracted the disease at the camp or within the community.

Wang explained the protocol in situations like these, including detailed information for parents and staff.

"When we declare an outbreak, we make sure that we put in all the measures to try to prevent further spread and make sure that the outbreak doesn't grow anymore than it has to," she continued.

The region, overall, has had a decline in recent cases. 

One new positive case was announced today, but the total number dropped by three, reports CBC. 

At the time of publication, Waterloo has 35 active cases of COVID-19.