COVID-19 hits children’s theater camp in Gulfport. What are implications for schools?
A theater boot camp at WINGS Performing Arts Center in Gulfport ended early after a camper or campers tested positive for COVID-19.
Cindy DeFrances, executive director of the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center where WINGS Performing Arts is housed, would not say how many campers tested positive, but she said the Broadway Boot Camp ended two days early after the positive COVID-19 test or tests.
DeFrances said she would not disclose the number of campers, or the number who tested positive, for privacy reasons.
Gov. Tate Reeves and Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs have continued to stress that children do get coronavirus and can spread it to older family members at higher risk of serious illness.
They said at a regular news briefing Thursday that the virus is now spreading fastest among ages 0-17, with a recent 34% increase in those cases.
Dobbs said outbreaks have been documented from summer sports and get-togethers in the Jackson area, but did not have information about any outbreaks at summer camps.
The outbreak at WINGS has implications for state school districts, most of which are scheduled to resume classes the first week in August. A few Mississippi districts have already decided to delay the start of school by a week or more, including Madison, Leake and DeSoto counties, and the city of Aberdeen.
Reeves said he is looking for creative plans from school districts, which must submit them to the state by July 31. Both he and Dobbs said school can be held safely with masks, social distancing, frequent hand-washing and other public health guidelines.
But many parents and teachers have expressed their fear of returning to classrooms because of the high number of COVID-19 cases in Mississippi.
Campers wore masks only after mandate issued
DeFrances said campers who attended the Broadway Boot Camp started wearing masks only after Reeves issued a mask mandate that went into effect July 13 for Harrison County and 10 others. Reeves has since been extended the mandate to include a total of 23 counties that are COVID-19 hotspots.
The boot camp started June 29 and was originally scheduled to end July 18.
DeFrances said the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, an award-winning children’s museum and activity center, has been scrupulous about cleaning and redoubled its efforts after COVID-19 was diagnosed from the Broadway Boot Camp.
WINGS has a separate entrance and space at the center on Dolan Ave. off U.S. 90. She said an extra cleaning crew was brought in to sanitize the WINGS area.
“I think we’ve done everything in our power to assure everyone who comes to Lynn Meadows that we are a safe environment,” she said. “I think now we’re trying to assure people that we’ve gone above and beyond on our cleaning and sanitizing measures.”
She said all children over the age of six must wear masks. Lynn Meadows performs temperature checks and asks a series of health questions of all campers before they can participate in programs.
DeFrancis says theater activities have been canceled and a date for them to resume has not been set.
“On a day to day basis,” she said, “we take precautions for every one of our campers who come through the door.”
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 8:19 AM.
