Santa And Mrs. Claus Test Positive For COVID-19 After South Georgia Event

Caption

Santa and Mrs. Claus ride in Long County parade on December 10, 2020.

Credit: Long County Fire Department/Facebook

A Santa Claus who took photos with dozens of kids in Long County was diagnosed with COVID-19, officials say.

The man tested positive for the disease after playing the role of Santa at holiday-themed festivities last week, said Robert D. Parker, chairman of the Long County Board of Commissioners.

Mrs. Claus, who was available for visits with children at the same event, also later received positive COVID-19 test results, Parker wrote Monday in a Facebook post.

“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,” the post said. “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.”

Officials say the pair didn’t feel sick when they attended Thursday’s activities, which followed an annual Christmas parade. The Long County Chamber of Commerce event was held in Ludowici, a small city roughly 55 miles southwest of Savannah.

“It was well attended by our public officials and I believe I speak for the majority of them 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,” Parker wrote in his Facebook post, which doesn’t mention whether the attendees or the Claus characters were wearing masks.

The chairman said families with children who may have been exposed to the disease should follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including staying at home and monitoring for fever and other coronavirus symptoms.

Parker said he doesn’t “feel this incident is cause for panic” and that children also can be exposed to the virus in church and school settings.

In the same area, the Long County School System is offering a “voluntary learn-at-home option” due to rising cases among students and employees, the district said last week in a Facebook post.

It’s not the first time someone embodying the role of Santa has contracted the coronavirus.

In November, a man known in North Carolina town as “Santa Jim” died as officials prepared for this year’s holiday celebrations, McClatchy News reported.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with the Macon Telegraph.