Maskless Santa tests positive for COVID after greeting kids, South Carolina city says
A maskless Santa Claus who greeted about a dozen families has tested positive for COVID-19, South Carolina officials say.
The man received a coronavirus diagnosis after playing the role of Santa at a children’s photo opportunity last weekend in Fountain Inn, according to officials in the city roughly 20 miles southeast of Greenville.
“We sincerely regret this situation and apologize for this inconvenience,” Fountain Inn wrote on its website.
Sunday’s outdoor event, called Sensory Santa, was designed for children with special needs. It was the first year for the city-sponsored activity, which required registration and drew about 10 or 15 families, according to City Administrator Shawn Bell.
“Santa was not wearing a mask,” Bell told McClatchy News in a phone interview Friday. “He at the time was not experiencing any symptoms whatsoever. It wasn’t until later that evening that he found out that he had some limited contact with a relative who had tested positive.”
Upon hearing about the possible exposure, Bell said, officials notified families who went to the event. After the positive test results, the city has urged families who were at Sensory Santa to reach out to their doctors.
“Those in attendance and participants, whether or not they chose to wear masks, should take every precaution and contact their health provider immediately to be tested for Covid-19,” the city said on its website.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone who spends more than 15 minutes near an infected person stay at home and check for coronavirus symptoms, which include fever and cough.
To help slow the spread of the virus, health officials say everyone should wear face coverings in public. That’s because the virus can be transmitted through particles released when someone who is sick speaks, breathes, coughs or sneezes.
While Fountain Inn doesn’t have a mandatory face mask ordinance, the city council earlier this year passed a resolution to encourage face coverings. Masks weren’t required at the recent event, which was held outdoors and had a rope serving as a barrier between attendees and the Santa character, according to Bell.
“In retrospect, we wish Santa would have been wearing a mask,” the city administrator said.
It’s not the only time someone playing the role of Santa received a positive COVID-19 test result.
On Monday, officials in Georgia announced a Santa tested positive for the disease after taking photos with dozens of kids, McClatchy News reported.
In November, a North Carolina town was getting ready for the holiday season when a man known as “Santa Jim” contracted COVID-19 and died.
