Christian Summer Camp Turns Into Nationwide Superspreader Nightmare
For several weeks earlier this summer, teen campers from across the country converged at a rural Christian camp in North Carolina for faith and fun that within weeks had turned into a superspreader nightmare.
Billed as a “funtastic” escape, campers’ families shell out around $350 a week to send their kids onto campgrounds nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains to hike, swim, zipline, barbecue and huddle together for “a healthy portion of God’s Word,” according to descriptions on the camp’s websites.
But public health officials in Transylvania County told The Daily Beast that campers came home with both memories and cases of COVID-19, after tracking at least 76 cases nationwide back to The Wilds’ campgrounds.
Health officials say 76 cases in 17 states have been linked to The Wilds, which has served up games and Bible verses to teens during its summer sessions for more than five decades....
Photos posted to The Wilds’ Facebook page feature kids crowded around largely mask-free outdoor activities during faith-based sessions between June 28 and July 17.
Health officials declined to comment about whether or not the cluster painted the picture of a camp that had not vigilantly followed safety requirements amid the pandemic. Camp brochures and registration forms on The Wilds’ website don’t mention COVID protocols and a list of “what to bring” to camp doesn’t mention face masks....
One mom, Brooke Taylor Jensen, told The Daily Beast that she had “concerns” after receiving an email from the camp notifying her that her 15-year-old son’s session had been canceled after campers and counselors tested positive for the virus in previous weeks.
“I was surprised that there was an outbreak among counselors,” Jensen said. “I guess I assumed most had been vaccinated as I wouldn’t have considered sending my son if he hadn’t been and from the sounds of it that wasn’t the case.”
... By Thursday afternoon, the tally of positive cases included 47 staff members and 29 campers or chaperones who were not working on campus, (Transylvania Public Health spokesperson Tara) Rybka said.
Cases stemming from the cluster have been detected in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, the department confirmed.