Camp staffers, county workers positive for COVID-19 at Collier County camp locations

Collier County commissioners say Tuesday summer camp staff members and county workers where camps are present in Collier County tested positive for the coronavirus last Friday. Parents of summer campers there have been notified. A total of six employees tested positive.

Locations where camp staff/county workers tested positive: 

• North Collier Collier Regional Park sports camp
• Camps at Vineyard Community Park
• Staff at Eagle Lakes Aquatics where camps are present
• Staff at Immokalee Sports Complex where camps are present

So far, only one child has withdrawn from camp. Parents we spoke to say they trust the staff is doing the best they can.

“I am really excited to have him out here in the fresh open air,” parent Ashley Heflin said. “And they get to be with their friends. I’m happy he can do this.”

Heflin, a mother of three, says she is happy to see her son back out on the soccer field.

“Everyone is doing a good job taking the precautions,” Heflin said. “And they have a good system set up here taking temperatures and everything.

Six members of Collier County parks associated with summer camps mentioned tested positive for COVID-19.

“Vineyards was about as well-timed as you can get if there is a thing,” said. “The positive test was detected on Friday. We closed the facility over the weekend and did massive sanitation.”

Non-camp related cases are at Eagle Lakes Aquatics and the Immokalee Sports Complex.

“Unfortunately, during the contact tracing, the infected person identified that they had been in close proximity with just about all of the staff,” said. “And we had to remove just about all of the team from the Immokalee Sports Complex.”

It does concern parents to hear staff who have tested positive have come into contact with their kids, but they also want their kids to enjoy their summer.

“There’s some things I’m concerned about with sanitizing stuff, but we do the best we do,” said Scott Reed, whose 9-year-old grandchild is in summer camp. “I knew it was going to happen. It’s bound to, and we are opening up things … She should still be a child.”

Vineyards and Eagle Lakes remain open after cleaning their facilities. North Collier Regional Park sports camp will reopen in another two weeks. And the Immokalee Sports Complex is closed pending test results.

“Still letting the kids be kids,” Heflin said. “That’s important.”