COVID-19 outbreaks lead to temporary closure of at least 3 Quebec sleepaway camps
Parents were scrambling Tuesday to pick up their kids after three sleepaway camps in Quebec were forced to temporarily shut down because of COVID-19.
Around 150 campers needed to be collected from Camp Ouareau in Matawinie, in Quebec's Lanaudière region, after an outbreak of nine infections.
"On the first full day, we actually had a young girl who actually threw up. So we sent her home. Then four days in, the parents informed us that she was COVID positive," said Jacqui Raill, a Camp Ouareau director.
Among those sent home are four girls who came from Mexico, some whose parents had to reschedule flights to pick up their daughters.
Most of the infections are among staff – and some were physically unable to work after getting COVID-19, said Raill.
As isolating all staff members and implementing new precautions became more difficult, Camp Ouareau decided to temporarily close altogether. The camp is hoping to reopen by July 13.
The virus in some cases was detected too late due to some false negative results from rapid tests.
"The unfortunate part of this year is that there is no allotment for residential camps to use PCR tests. Last year, every single camper, CIT (counsellor-in-training), and staff member had to have a PCR test," said Raill, who said she hopes the Quebec camping association can provide the camp with proper testing equipment in the near future.
The province’s camps association said last year all campers had to show a negative PCR test, but because access to those tests is now restricted, this year, they don’t.
"The PCR test is a biggie for us right now in terms of what makes the most sense and how can we reduce the exposure. Because once we're on our sites there’s significantly less risk you know, we’re only exposed to each other at that point," explained Shauna Joyce, vice-president of the association.
Raill said the move was "the right thing," because "our number one [priority] is to have happy and healthy campers."
Despite the recent outbreaks, Dr. Earl Rubin, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at the Montreal Children's Hospital, says there is a difference between sleepaway camps and the Montreal community in general when it comes to COVID-19.
"At sleepaway camps, it's all young, healthy people. But more importantly than that, it's a closed environment where they're not going out and being in contact with the elderly, the immunocompromised, the vulnerable population," Dr. Rubin explained.
Having worked as a summer camp doctor for over 30 years, Dr. Rubin believes that such sleepaway camps should not be closed if children catch a cold with no serious symptoms, even without knowing whether it is COVID-19.
Nevertheless, Dr. Rubin has conducted PCR and antigen testing at earlier stages of the pandemic to make sure that COVID-19 spread was minimized among children at camps.
The news comes as COVID-19 numbers increase across the province.
On Tuesday, the health ministry reported 20 more deaths and 147 hospitalizations in just 24 hours.
With files from CTV's Matt Gilmour and Kelly Greig.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.