COVID outbreak hits dozens of kids at Columbia County camp

COPAKE – A summer camp in Columbia County is dealing with a COVID outbreak. Around 30 or so campers at Camp Pontiac in Copake have tested positive for COVID-19.

This all started over the weekend.

NewsChannel 13 was told that the camp tested kids who were symptomatic.

Jack Mabb, the Columbia County Public Health Director, says nearly 30 kids have tested positive for COVID.

According to their website, Camp Pontiac is a seven-week sleep away camp for kids 7 to 16. Mabb says the kids who have contracted COVID are ages 7 to 11. This means they are too young to get the COVID vaccine.

He says additionally, 65 kids have come in contact with the kids who tested positive. Both sets of kids are being quarantined.

Mabb says some of the kids are in isolation at the campus because they live in states far away. Other kids have been picked up by their parents.

Mabb says none of the staff have tested positive for COVID.

"When it comes to congregant living situations. It’s tough. It’s really tough because you get one positive kid in a bunk or in a dormitory that houses 15 kids. Kids, they don’t socially distance if they don’t have to. So, I think it’s really hard when it comes to summer camps," said Mabb.

See what the kids have to do before being cleared to return to camp by watching the video of Jonathan Hunter’s story.