31 Test Positive For COVID-19 At Hudson Valley Children's Camp

COPAKE, NY — More than 30 children at a sleep-away camp in Copake in the Hudson Valley have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Camp Pontiac officials said some of the young campers were showing symptoms of COVID-19, The New York Times reported, and one tested positive Saturday.

The number of those infected soon escalated to 31.

On Friday, Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb said in a news release that 18 of those that contracted the virus and live close to the camp were sent home to quarantine, and five were in isolation at the camp.

Contract tracing was being done on 65 people, he said.

Earlier last week, Mabb said the county had recorded 12 new cases of the virus.

"This spike is definitely a real thing," he said.

None of the campers who were 12 or older tested positive for the coronavirus, WABC-TV reported. All but four of them were vaccinated.

Camp Pontiac is testing all unvaccinated campers twice this week, at the recommendation of the state's health department.

As of Monday, Columbia County's health department said 33,901 of the county's 59,916 residents have completed the vaccine series.

Sixty-one percent have received at least one dose, and 70.4 percent of the county's over-18 population have received at least one shot.