What the New CDC Guidelines Mean for Your Child’s Summer Camp
If last summer was the closing season for all camps, then this summer you need to figure out how to keep them open. As we conclude a school year that has mainly centered around schools trying to figure out how to get their kids back to class as safely as possible, parents are looking forward to a summer that will hopefully be a little more normal than last summer. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are releasing updated guidelines for summer camps just in time.
The situation is starting to open up, and overall restrictions are eased as more adults receive vaccines. But children under the age of 16 are still not eligible for the vaccine and new variants of the virus are emerging and spreading, so a lot of precautions need to be taken in day and overnight camps this summer.
General recommendations
CDC guidelines recommend breaking campers and staff into “cohorts” that will stay together throughout the day. After sorting, here are some guidelines for physical distance :
- At least 3 feet between all campers in the cohort
- At least 6 feet between all campers outside of their cohort
- At least 1.8 meters while eating and drinking, including among people in the same cohort
- At least 6 feet between campers and staff
- At least 6 feet between staffs
Everyone should wear masks unless they are eating, drinking, napping (when children should be as far apart as possible, from head to toe), or swimming (a wet mask can make breathing difficult and may not work anyway).
Outdoor activities are highly recommended whenever possible. Whenever this is not possible, the CDC stresses the importance of ventilating indoor spaces by opening doors and windows, using ventilators, and reducing occupancy (this applies to facilities as well as any vehicle camps in use). If possible, exercise and other sports should be outdoors. The CDC disapproves of indoor and close-contact sports and says players must wear masks six feet apart.
Other typical activities in the camp that can cause respiratory droplets are to be done outdoors, wearing masks, six feet apart. This includes chanting, chanting and shouting.
The rules also emphasize the restriction on the use of shared objects – the belongings of each tourist must be separated and stored in separate marked containers or boxes. Staff and vacationers should be encouraged to bring their own water from home to limit the use of fountains. Vacationers should also have multiple masks so that a dirty mask can be easily replaced with a clean one.
Accommodation
In addition to all of the above, the CDC also provides additional guidelines for overnight stays. They suggest that camps should encourage skilled staff, volunteers, campers and family members to be fully vaccinated (ideally at least two weeks before going to camp). They recommend that unvaccinated tourists and staff go through a two-week quarantine before arriving. Campers and staff who are not fully vaccinated must provide proof of a negative virus test at least three days prior to arrival.
Upon arrival, campers should be screened for symptoms and assigned to cohorts that remain together and separate from the other cohorts. Vacationers and staff who sleep in the same room should be considered a “household cohort” and do not need to disguise or distance themselves from each other unless someone outside the cohort is present. When different groups get together outdoors or indoors, everyone should practice the usual disguises, physical distancing, and healthy hygiene advice.