LUCASVILLE—As Community Levels of COVID-19 reach high classification in Scioto and surrounding counties, Camp Molly Lauman in Lucasville has been forced to temporarily close citing a surge in positive cases among its staff.

A recent social media post from the Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland (GSOH) indicated that the closure would affect the camp for the week of July 10 through July 16.

GSOH officials stated that this closure was made “out of extreme caution” following a total of nine staff members who tested positive for the coronavirus between July 3 and July 10.

The post from GSOH clarified that in an effort to keep staff and campers safe, Camp Molly Lauman has tested staff each Sunday prior to new campers arriving. Those staff members who have tested positive quarantined based on CDC recommendations.

Following Camp Molly Lauman’s closure, a new week’s worth of campers is expected to arrive on July 17.

The post from GSOH indicated that the staff at Camp Molly Lauman will continue to test and monitor for symptoms in order to prevent future surges in infection. They hope that campers and visitors will do the same.

“We encourage our campers to protect themselves, test when possible before attending any event with large groups, and to stay home if they are experiencing COVID symptoms,” the post said.

Further guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) specifies that community levels for COVID-19 transmission are still considered high for Scioto County. It is recommended that individuals wear a mask when indoors in public, that COVID-19 vaccines are up to date, and that an individual with COVID-19 symptoms should be tested.

Though symptoms of COVID-19 vary, infected individuals often report fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Additional symptoms can include muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell.

As of Friday, July 8th, the Scioto County Health Department (SCHD) released information stating that the COVID-19 Community Level for Scioto County was updated to a classification of “high.” COVID-19 Community Levels are categorized as low, medium, and high based on the number of COVID-19 cases in a given community and the impact of severe disease on community-based healthcare systems, according to the CDC.

The release from SCHD additionally stated that Ohio counties of Pike, Lawrence, and Ross are also now contending with high COVID-19 Community Levels, as are Kentucky counties of Lewis, Greenup, and Boyd.

For more information and updates about Camp Molly Lauman, visit the camp’s Facebook page, or their website at: gsoh.org/camps.