Recreation camps for kids and teens in Manasquan have been temporarily shut down after six employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
The employees that tested positive are all students at Manasquan High School. They include two members of the beach staff, a junior guard counselor and a recreation counselor. The staff worked with teens and second and third graders.
Parents of campers were notified by email Thursday.
All other counselors were given a rapid coronavirus test and no other positive test results have come back.
The county Health Department is only encouraging campers to get tested if they are experiencing coronavirus symptoms
Manasquan Council President Michael Mangan says the hope is that the six positive cases can be traced and contained, allowing for recreations camps to continue safely for hundreds of kids.
"I am a father through myself. 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," he says."
He adds that while camp is paused for the next week, health officials will be analyzing data to try to figure out if it is possible to keep camp going .
"We have to figure out a way to deal with these positive cases," he says.
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