ByKristen Rary|August 20, 2020 at 5:19 PM EDT - Updated August 20 at 7:11 PM
BLUFFTON, S.C. (WTOC) - Child care in Bluffton is facing a setback as the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry is closed down until September.
The end of summer is here and normally that would mean that the Boys and Girls Club would be full of kids laughing and enjoying their last few days of freedom before school starts.
But that’s not the case right now after the club says a parent sent their child to camp for days knowing they had been exposed to COVID-19.
The Boys and Girls Club is regrouping after a student told staff his parent was positive for COVID-19.
“On Mondays they always do the wellness check. Sometime during Monday the child, either through symptoms that were noticeable or the conversations they had with the staff. That came to light that the parent was positive for COVID-19,” said Chris Protz, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Lowcountry.
The club says staff checked with DHEC and the parent to figure out what their next move should be.
“The parent confirmed that indeed they were positive reading and they had been positive since August 8.”
To make matters worse, the Boys and Girls Club says the parent had been sending their child to camp knowing they were positive.
“And so the child had been coming to the club along with his siblings for a couple weeks.”
Following guidelines, the club alerted every parent in the child’s group, and shut down, for now.
“We will be closed until the start of the school year which is September 8.”
When the club opens back up they will only accept 70 to 80 students per location. Less than a third of their normal capacity.
“We are going to provide space and a place for students who need a spot to do virtual learning who can come in, use the club.”
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