Not-So Holly Jolly! Santa Tests Positive For COVID After Posing With 50 Kids
Well, there's one thing we're pretty sure no kid wants for Christmas. A small-town "Santa Claus" and "Mrs. Claus," who posed with dozens of children during a community holiday event on December 10, discovered a mere two days later that they both tested positive for COVID-19.
The couple, who were not named, took pictures with allegedly around 50 kids at the event, held in Ludowici, Ga., and put on by the county chamber of commerce. They rode in on the town fire truck, which was cheerily documented by the local fire department on social media, before unwittingly exposing dozens to the virus. Reportedly, neither one felt sick or were showing any symptoms at the time of the event.
Long County Board of Commissioners chairman Robert D. Parker confirmed in a statement that the couple had indeed tested positive, and urged those who attended not to panic.
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"My children both had their picture made with Santa, and their smiles were bigger than any day when they head off to school, where the same risk of exposure exists," Parker noted. "I have personally known both 'Santa' and 'Mrs. Claus' my entire life and I can assure everyone that they would have never knowingly done anything to place any children in danger. They have both filled these roles for many years, and bringing joy to children during the holidays is one of the most important parts of their lives."
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He added, "I believe I speak for the majority of the board 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."
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According to local news, a parent coordinator for Long County Schools reported that in-person school was not canceled in the wake of the coronavirus news, but parents were advised to keep children who were exposed at the event home from school until after the holiday break. Virtual learning options were made available for those who didn't feel safe sending their kids to class.