COVID cases affecting participants at Falls Creek Church Camp

DAVIS, Okla. (KFOR) – The rise in COVID cases is affecting Falls Creek Church Camp.

Brian Hobbs, director of communication for Oklahoma Baptists, released the following statement:

“We are in the final week of summer youth camp at Falls Creek, and we are grateful to have seen the Lord move in the hearts of thousands who attended camp. Like other organizations operating large events this summer, we adhere to strict protocols to protect the safety and health of our staff and campers.  We constantly review and revise our protocols as the situation warrants. As the summer has unfolded, many areas of the United States including Oklahoma have seen COVID-19 cases increase. Having hosted around 4,000 participants each week, the number of positive COVID cases remains statistically low. Even so, we take nothing for granted as the well-being of every camper and staff member is foremost. We treat the threat of COVID with the utmost seriousness.  We will continue to closely monitor the situation and adapt our plans as necessary during this last week of camp.”

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They say their protocols include disinfecting common areas and doing daily health screenings.

They didn’t say exactly how many cases there were, but say it’s less than one percent of the total attendance.

A parent who did not want to give their name said that her child and a friend’s children contracted the virus after coming back from camp two weeks ago. She says she wants others to be aware, but not alarmed.

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Stewart Hughes, who checks church members into their cabins, says he’s encountered a couple of cases.

“We’ve been down here six weeks, eight weeks, something like that, and we’ve had two churches come down with just COVID, and it was just one case a piece, and they left immediately,” he said.

The Oklahoma City County Health Department is emphasizing mitigation efforts as children come back from summer camps.

“We are very concerned with the level of outbreaks we’ve seen at popular summer camps across the state,” Eddie Withers, lead epidemiologist for OCCHD, said. “As the summer vacation period winds down and children are coming back home, we want to make sure parents are watching for signs of possible COVID-19 infection, and encouraging children to wear a mask and social distance when possible.”

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Putnam City Baptist Church posted on social media that because some people were coming back with positive cases, they canceled small groups meetings and only had one Sunday service.

They also say if you’ve been around anyone who was at Falls Creek, stay home and watch services online.