Children exposed to COVID-19 infected Santa in Georgia

Dozens of children may have been exposed to the coronavirus after snapping photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus during a Christmas parade in Georgia last week.

In a Facebook post, Robert D. Parker, Chairman of the Long County Board of Commissioners, announced that after the December 10 Christmas parade in Ludowici, southwest of Savannah, the individuals who served as the festivities by Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were tested. positive for COVID-19.

Parker wrote that about 50 children were in the picture with Saint Nick, adding that the clauses were not symptomatic at the time of the event.

“Proper CDC exposure guidelines should be followed if your child was exposed, but I don’t think this incident is cause for alarm,” said Parker, adding that he believed it was the right decision to proceed with the parade. despite the rising number of hospitalizations and deaths in Georgia and across the country.

“My kids both had their picture taken with Santa,” he wrote, “and their smiles were bigger than every day they went to school, where there is the same risk of exposure.”

Long County, with a population of about 20,000 people, had an 11% positivity rate between Nov. 26 and Dec. 9, reporting 16 new cases last week, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Although children are less likely to become seriously ill with COVID-19, they are not immune to the virus and can still spread it to others.

It was not immediately clear whether the clauses or the children were wearing masks for the photos or whether someone else might have been exposed.

A photo posted to Facebook by the Long County Fire Department showed Mr. and Mrs. Claus sitting atop a fire engine with no face covering.

“Santa and Mrs. Clause came to town tonight with our fire truck !! We had so much fun with him at the Ludowici Christmas Parade,” the message read. ‘We hope all boys and girls enjoyed seeing them. Merry Christmas!’

The Long County Chamber of Commerce did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News’s request for comment.

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