CDC COVID-19 Suggestions for Youth and Summer Camps

Published Apr 26, 2021

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Got my 2nd Moderna shot last week... good to go to camp -moving in for 9 weeks. Will be reading and following these guidelines. Expect to be quite busy this Summer. Following School Nursing forum for tips how they are dealing with Covid in schools. I'll be meeting with Pediatrician camp owner next month to prepare plans.

CDC Suggestions for Youth and Summer Camps

Additional Guidance for Overnight Camps

Quote

...Request that campers, their families, and camp staff follow guidance for travelers in the 14 days before camp arrival to reduce exposure to COVID-19.

Ask campers and staff who are not fully vaccinated to provide proof of a negative viral test taken no more than 1–3 days before arriving at camp.

Upon arrival at camp, campers should be assigned to cohorts that will remain together for the entire camp session without mixing with other campers and staff in close contact circumstances.

Consider campers and staff who are staying together in a cabin, bunkhouse, or similar defined space a “household cohort.” Household cohort members do not need to wear masks or physically distance when they are together without non-household cohort members nearby. Campers and staff should always wear masks when together unless staff are part of the household cohort and sleep in the same space as campers. When different household cohorts are using shared indoor or outdoor spaces together during the day or night, continue to monitor and enforce mask use, physical distancing, and healthy hygiene behaviors for everyone.

For camp sessions that last at least one week, screening testing should be done 3–5 days after arrival at camp in accordance with CDC travel guidance. Fully vaccinated asymptomatic people without an exposure can refrain from routine screening testing....

Work with camp administrators, nurses, and other healthcare providers to identify an isolation room or area to separate anyone who exhibits COVID-like symptoms. If the camp has a nurse or other healthcare provider, they should be provided and wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including N95 respirators, and use Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions when caring for sick people. See: What Healthcare Personnel Should Know About Caring for Patients with Confirmed or Possible COVID-19 Infection.

Develop an Emergency Operations Plan, in collaboration with local health officials, in the event of an outbreak. This plan should be communicated with staff, families, and campers. Camps should provide spaces for symptomatic and infected campers and staff to quarantine on-site.

After camp

Camp staff and campers who are not fully vaccinated should get tested with a viral test 3–5 days after traveling home from camp AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.