Five day camps on South Shore have COVID-19 infections

Five South Shore day camps deal with COVID-19 Camp counsellors and children have been sent home from five day camps on the South Shore after cases of COVID-19.

MONTREAL — A total of five Montérégie day camps have COVID-19 cases, the regional public health authority confirmed Wednesday, including three outbreaks of two or more cases. The other two camps have one case each.

The five locations are Verchères, Sainte-Catherine, Boucherville, Saint-Constant and Mont Saint-Hilaire, said local public health spokeswoman Chantal Vallée.

It appears that all of the infected people aren't children. On July 18, public health officials informed the city of Saint-Constant that an employee from one of their day camps had tested positive for COVID-19. There’s no information that suggests the children were affected in this situation.

The animator has been in preventative quarantine since July 10 after finding out a member of her friend group tested positive. After developing symptoms similar to those of a cold, the animator went for a second test, which came back positive.

TWO CHILDREN FROM SAME FAMILY TEST POSITIVE

Two children from the same family who attended day camps in Mont-Saint-Hilaire are among those who have tested positive.

Those in charge of the siblings' day camps were notified of the situation on Saturday – children were sent home and their parents were told as soon as possible.

Mont-Saint-Hilaire city officials say parents of children who attended the camps in question received an official notice from public health indicating how to proceed.

According to the administration, both campers contracted the virus following direct contact with a person who tested positive outside of the camps.

Ratios of animators to campers were adapted amid the pandemic at Mont-Saint-Hilaire day camps and are even lower than recommended for the area, the city said.

Camp hours have also been modified – the programs operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the city isn’t offering daycare services this year.

All sites at the camps are cleaned and disinfected multiple times per day by maintenance teams.

Since July 13, all animators from Mont-Saint-Hilaire day camps must wear masks as soon as they enter closed spaces – a rule that was implemented in addition to other measures such as physical distancing and heightened sanitation.