A Christian summer camp in Missouri had to shut down after 82 kids and employees tested positive for COVID-19

• Kamp Kanukuk, in Lampe, Missouri, shut down last week after 82 campers and staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
• The Christian camp, which hosts teens aged 13 to 18, told parents last week that campers should isolate for 14 days after returning home, according to an email seen by NBC News.
• Ahead of its closure, the camp said it was putting measures in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

At least 82 cases of COVID-19 have been linked to a Christian summer camp in Missouri, which was forced to shut down because of the outbreak.

Nearly 5,000 teens aged 13 to 18 have attended the K-2 overnight Kamp Kanukuk in Lampe, Missouri, this summer. The camp offers sessions in one, two, and four-week increments, many of which started in late May. It's unclear how many kids are in each session.

By Monday, at least 82 teens and staffers at the camp had tested positive for COVID-19, Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri DHSS told KY3, a local news outlet.

The camp — which bills itself as a place kids have the "opportunity to grow in faith, confidence, and Christian character" — decided to shut its doors and send campers home last week, after the first 41 cases had emerged.

"The decision to close has resulted in all campers, counselors and staff to return to their homes," the Stone County Health Department said in a Facebook post. "SCHD will be working closely with Kanukuk Kamps to identify exposed individuals and quarantine those individuals, as necessary."

Parents were told of the camp closure through an email, seen by NBC News.

The email told parents that their children should quarantine for 14 days upon returning home from camp, and that they should be monitored for COVID-19 symptoms.

On the camp's website, Kanukuk staff said the health and safety of campers was a "#1 priority."

The camp said it would take temperatures of campers and require masks. They also performed extensive cleaning and required social distancing.

Representatives for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, SCHD, and Kamp Kanukuk didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment about the outbreak.