Recreation camps for kids and teens in Manasquan have been temporarily shut down after six employees, who are all students at Manasquan High School, tested positive for coronavirus.

 

The employees include two members of the beach staff, a junior guard counselor and a recreation counselor. The staff worked with teens, as well as second and third graders.

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Parents of campers were notified by email Thursday.

Manasquan Council President Michael Mangan says the hope is that the six positive cases can be traced and contained, allowing for recreation camps to continue safely for hundreds of kids who, for the most part, were stuck inside throughout the spring.

"I am a father myself,” says Mangan. “Any parent in this town with young kids will tell you after the spring, the kids really needed to get out and socialize. But like I said, public safety needs to come first.”

All other counselors were given a rapid coronavirus test, and no other positive test results have come back.

Mangan says the town will pause its recreation programs to assess how many people were infected and who each person was in contact with.

The beach will remain open.