Prairie State Wire

At least 29 fully vaccinated people are among the nearly 200 to suffer COVID-19 infections during a church camp and conference in central Illinois.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the two outbreaks occurred in Schuyler and Adams over a five-day period in mid-June at The Crossing Camp in Rushville. Health officials have warned the final number of those infected could extend much further and spread across multiple states.  

The gatherings at the central Illinois site featured a five-day church camp for teens and a two-day men's conference. As of mid-August, the Centers for Disease Control reported 180 COVID-19 cases had been traced to those who attended one of those events or to someone who had close contact with an attendee.

Well over half of the cases (122) have been attributed to attendees, with 87 people being exposed to the virus at the camp and the remaining 35 at the conference, NPR reported. Of the five individuals known to be hospitalized, none of them had been vaccinated.                    

In the end, CDC officials estimate that upwards of 1,000 people across at least four states could have been exposed through the two events, which did not require vaccinations or that masks be worn, according to NBC. 

Nearly 300 teens, all of the between the ages of 14 and 18, were on hand over the five days, with many of them arriving at the site together after traveling by bus. As many as 500 people are reported to have attended the men’s conference, NPR reported.

As of Aug. 7, COVID-19 outbreaks in at least 21 overnight camps had been reported in Illinois, reinforcing the importance of COVID-19 prevention measures at these camps, including identifying infected persons through prearrival and screening testing programs and consistent implementation of other prevention efforts, including vaccination, masking, and physical distancing, the CDC said.