More than 80 test positive for COVID-19 in Illinois summer camp outbreak

An Illinois summer camp has been forced to shut down for the summer after a COVID-19 outbreak, multiple outlets reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) said that 85 attendees and volunteers at the Crossing Camp have tested positive for the virus, adding that only a “handful” of campers and volunteers had received vaccine shots.

The department also said the camp didn’t require masks indoors and did not check for vaccination status. Seventy percent of the reported cases were unvaccinated individuals, according to the statement.

“The majority of the 85 COVID-19 cases associated with the youth camp are among teens,” IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike said in the 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.”

According to a USA Today report, the Crossing Camp said it will postpone its fourth and fifth-grade camps until August due to the outbreak. 

“We were so looking forward to spending time with your campers this weekend, but we believe the best way to value and love our students, difference makers, and staff is to delay camp until a safer time,” the camp said. 

IDPH added that the counties where the outbreaks occurred, Schuyler and Adams, have 40 percent of their population vaccinated. 

This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May the lifting of restrictions for vaccinated Americans. 

The Hill has reached out to Crossing Camp for comment.

Updated at 3:29 p.m.