AROUND 150 COVID-19 CASES, INCLUDING DELTA VARIANT, LINKED TO CHURCH SUMMER CAMP NEAR GIDDINGS

  

Around 150 COVID-19 cases, including three cases of the Delta variant, are tied to a church summer camp held in late June near Giddings.

Clear Creek Community Church of League City, located near Houston, said over 450 people attended the camp at Tejas Camp and Retreat south of Giddings.

According to the Galveston County Health District (GCHD), 57 adults and youth in Galveston County have been confirmed as testing positive, while over 90 people, including non-Galveston County residents, have self-reported positive tests.

Galveston County Health Authority Dr. Philip Keiser said six of the confirmed cases were identified as breakthrough cases, or cases when an individual tests positive more than 14 days after their second COVID-19 vaccination.

The health district was notified of the first positive COVID-19 case tied to the camp on June 27^th.  Forty-seven of the 57 confirmed cases are in youth and adults 12 years and older, while 10 are in youth under 12 years old.

Dr. Keiser said the Delta variant is “highly contagious, more so than other strains,” adding that people who are unvaccinated “are at most risk.”  He said as of now, it appears most of the people who have tested positive in this outbreak are old enough to be vaccinated.

Tejas Camp and Retreat Executive Director Paul Biles said Clear Creek Community Church campers were the only guests on-site at the time of the outbreak.

Services at Clear Creek Community Church were cancelled for July 4^th and 7^th, and are planned to resume July 11^th.