MONTREAL -- Twenty-seven kids and staff members at a day camp in Boucherville have been infected with COVID-19, health authorities say—and that’s not counting secondary infections tied to the outbreak.
The camp Les Ateliers de Charlot l’Escargot is closed until August 7, said Martine Lesage, a spokesperson for the Central Monteregie health district.
“The outbreak began on July 20 and Montérégie Public Health is monitoring the situation closely in collaboration with the day camp management,” Lesage said in an email.
The 27 cases are among “young people and staff members,” she said.
“However, the epidemiological investigation also identified people who had contact with the cases,” and those secondary contacts were also contacted by public health officials.
“In addition, these contacts may have given rise to secondary cases, which could lead to a higher number of cases,” she wrote. “The exact number is not yet known.”
Monteregie has had five day camps with positive cases, but last week local health authorities said each camp had no more than two cases each.
Last week, when the first cases were reported at Charlot l’Escargot camp, the health authority “strongly recommended” that all kids at the camp be tested for the virus.
“We have taken all preventive measures and followed the directives of the public health department to the letter, since March,” camp spokesperson Annie Montour told CTV News at the time.
“We will continue to follow the directives of the public health directorate.”
There has been one case of coronavirus among Boucherville’s municipally run camps, an Animaction camp for 7- to 8-year-olds, said Amelie Giguere, a spokesperson for the city.
“The contamination is believed to have occurred outside the day camp,” she said.
Watch the video above, from July 23, to learn about the measures health authorities were taking after discovering the day camp outbreaks.
