COVID shuts down a Manatee County summer camp for 2 days. Here’s what you should know

A possible breakthrough COVID-19 case shut down a summer camp run by Manatee County earlier this week, according to emails from a county employee to local families.

Marcus Francis, a county staff member, sent the first email to parents on Sunday evening, informing them of a COVID-19 case “involving one of our staff” at the summer camp.

The case forced a two-day closing of the program at Braden River Elementary School, one of two sites for the county’s 2021 Summer Blast Camp. The campus, 6125 River Club Blvd. in Bradenton, is slated to reopen for camp on Wednesday, according to a follow-up email sent to families on Monday night.

“This particular staff member was vaccinated and as a result we have requested testing from all staff prior to their return and the reopening of camp,” the initial email states.

“We also understand a desire to know which group or Counselor, however because of the interactions between many groups, campers, and staff we believe it is best that everyone be notified and all staff be tested,” it continues.

A breakthrough refers to COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated people — a rare but expected issue. While no vaccine is 100% effective, they prevent a majority of people from getting sick.

Evidence also points to breakthrough cases being less severe than COVID-19 infections among unvaccinated people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Gov. Ron DeSantis echoed the same message at a news conference last week, noting that vaccines save lives.

“If you are vaccinated — fully vaccinated — the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero,” DeSantis said.

And though the case at Braden River Elementary appears to be a breakthrough, it was unclear if the staff member received all the necessary doses of a vaccine, or whether two weeks passed after his or her final dose. Without that information, it was impossible to say whether the employee was fully vaccinated, and whether the incident was, indeed, a breakthrough case.

It was also unclear how many staff members and campers attended the program, which is meant for children between the ages of 5 and 13, according to the county website.

In response to questions from the Bradenton Herald, county spokesman Nicholas Azzara said that a response was not immediately available on Tuesday afternoon, when county employees were attending a commission meeting.

A reporter also contacted the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County earlier this month, after learning of possible COVID-19 cases at other summer camps. Christopher Tittel, a spokesman for the health department, said in a July 13 email that disease investigations were confidential under Florida law.

The health department, he said, “cannot release the names of any summer programs that may have experienced outbreaks of COVID-19 per the Florida statute cited.”