State health leaders confirm 82 COVID-19 cases from Kamp Kanakuk K-2 site

LAMPE, Mo. - Eighty-two cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the K-2 camp of Kamp Kanakuk as of Monday.

Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri DHSS, confirmed there were 82 positive cases related to the camp. The cases include campers and counselors.

Nearly 5,000 campers have gone through the Kamp Kanakuk camp sessions in Taney and Stone counties already this summer. Campers come from 10 different states.

Pam Burnett, an administrator with the Stone County Health Department, says health leaders have been in close communication with the Kamp Kanakuk.

Kamp Kanakuk was in two separate sessions prior to the positive tests from the K-2 facility in Lampe, Missouri, which has been shut down for the remainder of the term.

Dr. Williams says the site is responding with testing for all staffers. From there, plans for abbreviated session are in the works once infected staffers are isolated and test negative for COVID-19.

Last week, an email was sent out to all parents of the six Kanakuk camps to inform them of positive test results from two counselors at the K-2 site.

As of Monday, 82 cases have been reported, only coming from the Lampe facility. Kamp Kanakuk operates six camps in Taney and Stone County.

Dr. Williams said camps opened aware of the possibility of positive tests and asked Kamp Kanukuk for an extensive plan prior to opening for the summer.

As part of the Kamp Kanakuk’s coronavirus plan, they took temperatures and wore masks. There was also extensive cleaning of the facilities and social distancing was required.