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Parent says YMCA camp took right precautions but hundreds still tested positive for COVID-19

Hundreds of campers at a north Georgia YMCA camp were infected with coronavirus, according to a report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Channel 2 Action News is now hearing from parents whose children attended the camp.

“I was surprised because they had done such a great job with precautions, with pre-screenings. The counselors and making sure that they were tested,” Karin Jessop said.

Jessop’s 12-year-old and 13-year-old attended YMCA’s Camp High Harbor on Lake Burton in Rabun County.

According to the CDC report, 597 people attended the camp, 344 were tested and 260 tested positive for COVID-19. The camp was only open for four days before it shut down.

“I was a bit in shock. We read the note and talked to them about what they were doing to isolate the situation. Realizing that the camp was completely outdoors and everybody was socially distanced at the time that my children were there,” Jessop said.

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A CDC investigation found the youngest children had the highest rate of infection. More than half of campers ages 6 to 10 were infected.

Jessop said she made sure her kids were prepared before all this happened.

“They traveled with masks. They traveled with hand sanitizers. They didn’t’ share food or share anything. They made sure they maintained social distance,” she said.