Gym Owners: Parents Should Have Been Informed of Outbreak

Gym owners in Texas said they made an error in judgment by not immediately informing all camp parents after a participant tested positive for COVID-19.

According to ABC13 in Houston, Alpha Omega Gymnastics and Dance in Missouri City is aware of 10 COVID-19 cases that appear to have stemmed from a camp in July. Gym owners Jerit and Sarah Pogue say they wish they had notified every camp participant after the first positive test.

"On July 19, we were notified that 2 of the children from the same family who participated in our camp had tested positive for COVID-19,” the owners said. “At the time, I believed it to be an isolated case. Not wanting to panic others, I made the decision not to notify the parents of other camp participants. That was clearly an error in judgment, and one that I regret because we now have a total of 10 children who have tested positive. To date, all parents have been notified and there have been no other cases reported. We are taking steps to further ensure the well-being of our students and staff. Our facilities have been deep-cleaned and sanitized by a reputable cleaning company and will be thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis. We will also take the temperatures of all who enter our facility each day to ensure they have no fevers. We take the safety and well-being of our students, parents and staff very seriously. We will continue to evaluate the ever-changing climate and respond appropriately and responsibly."

The Pogues said that Alpha Omega Gymnastics and Dance’s new policies include taking temperatures and asking about COVID symptoms at the door, and notifying all parents about any positive cases.

"I have people who feel like I let them down," he said. "That I broke their trust and confidence, and that relationship has been severed a little bit. But all I can do, at this point, is say, 'Hey, I made an error.' I should have done things differently. Could I have gone back, I would do things differently, and I am going to handle things differently moving forward."