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Almost all of the people over the age of 12 in the camp had been vaccinated, officials said.
Dozens of children have tested positive for COVID-19 at a summer camp in upstate New York, health officials confirmed to ABC News on Thursday.
The site of the outbreak was Camp Pontiac, a 550-person overnight camp located in Columbia County, about 2.5 hours north of New York City. Thirty-one children aged 7 to 11 have contracted the virus, according to Jack Mabb, the county health director.
Sick children, under the age of 12, were not eligible for vaccination. According to Mabb, about half of the campers are 12 or older, and all but four have been vaccinated.
The 275 camp staff had an equally high vaccination rate, with only three staff members unvaccinated. Sick campers were sent home for isolation, as were 130 other campers who were considered close contacts of those who tested positive.
“None were seriously ill when they left, but we cannot know if they become more so at home,” Mabb told ABC News.
Community spread is currently low in Columbia County, according to Mabb. Although camp staff are allowed to travel to Columbia County and have done so, there is so far no evidence that the outbreak is affecting the wider community.
“This morning we only have one positive and she was not associated with the camp,” Mabb said.
Camp Pontiac sent a letter to families after the outbreak, noting that the camp had “decided to test all unvaccinated campers even though the CDC and the Department of Health don’t require us to do so.”
“We regard the health and well-being of our camp community as our number one priority,” the letter said. “Every camper is of course welcome after the quarantine period ends and we will be happy to return or reimburse the tuition on a pro rata basis.”
New York’s vaccination rate is slightly above the national average. As of Thursday, 62% of residents had received at least one dose and 56% were fully immunized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In comparison, 56% of Americans have received at least one injection and 49% are fully immunized.
ABC News’s Will McDuffie and Esther Castillejo contributed to this report.
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