A couple, who recently played Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at a Christmas party in Ludowici, Georgia, have tested positive for COVID-19, two days taking photos with more than 50 children. Robert Parker, the chairman of the Long County Board of Commissioners, said in a statement that the couple "were not displaying any symptoms at the time of the event."
"While this event was not put on by the City of Ludowici or the Long County Board of Commissioners, it was well attended by our public officials and I believe I speak for the majority of them in saying that we still stand by the decision of the Chamber to move forward with these holiday traditions and to bring some sense of normalcy to these trying times," he addede.
Parker noted that his own children had taken pictures with the couple and that "no children were forced to attend the events and that choice was left solely in the hands of their parent." Officials have asked those who may have been exposed to quarantine at home for 14 days in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
Dana Green, a parent coordinator for Long County Schools System, told local news station WJCL that the children who may have been exposed have been advised to stay home from school until after the Christmas break. Schools in Long County will remain open through to December 18.
As of Tuesday, there have been more than 16,977,012 cases of COVID-19 in the United States and 308,750 deaths from coronavirus-related illnesses. In Georgia alone, there have been 570,602 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 7,558 deaths related to the virus.
The CDC recommends that people wear a mask to protect themselves and others and to stay at least 6 feet away from others who they don’t live with and avoid crowds, noting that the more people you are in contact with, the more likely you are to be exposed to COVID-19.
Source: People