Coronavirus Pandemic: How It’s Effecting Summer Camps

Jun 26, 2020 | 14 minutes 23 seconds

Transcript

Megan:

Welcome to an HMC HealthWorks podcast. I am Meghan Steckowski, more than 20 million children attend camp in the us each summer, according to the American camp association. Camp fills a need for many families, whether it’s childcare often lined up months in advance, or simply an opportunity for the children to be immersed in the outdoors, free from technology. Today, we are joined by Vicky Putnam who has been investigating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on summer camps. We will focus on what questions people have regarding steps camps have taken amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vicki:

Hey there, Megan, I’m excited to talk about this topic. It’s something the two of us have discussed with our colleagues during meetings before we continue. I definitely want to acknowledge that the challenges vary depending on where you live. So as in the case of our colleague Whitney, her towns, typical rec program is not technically closed, but they’re, you know, there aren’t any outlet home programs. They offer some modified version of camp where they bring supplies to your house for projects, but parents pay for it. And they basically have to oversee and guide them as if they were the counselor. So that really doesn’t make sense for her family since they both work from home and camp was to serve as a childcare option for them. Other town rec programs, such as my own in Cromwell Connecticut. They’re, they’re open as they were in the past, and they’re going to use the three schools for inclement weather, and then other places I talked to, their youth activities and camps are completely closed. So the ones we’ll discuss today are the ones that are open, but in a different fashion than in the past.

Megan:

All right, sounds good. Let’s talk about some of the questions people have and the decisions folks are facing when trying to sort all of this out. So if they’re even able to send a child to a summer camp or program, I guess the first thing that I might think about is, you know, why would I even send my child to camp?

Vicki:

So this is a family choice and only, you know, what is best for your family. I spoke with several families who have [inaudible 00:01:56] families who have shared their reasons for needing camp this summer. And to name a few, they said they need a safe place for their child to be when they can return to work, a childcare option. Others said they want a safe environment outside with good role models. Other said, they want interaction with others outside their household. Finally, after months in front of a computer screen quarantined, and they feel the need for camp is even greater this year. And of course, there’s no question that anytime you let your child out of your sight, they are at greater risk. Although camps are planning on doing all, they can to minimize the risk of a child getting sick. It would be impossible to make any promises, there will not be someone with COVID-19 symptoms at camp this summer.

Megan:

That makes sense. What about instances where a child is in a higher risk group, such as kids with lung or heart conditions, lung disease, diabetes, other autoimmune compromised conditions. What should we be looking for to feel safe about having these kids returned to camp once they open?

Vicki:

So that’s a great question. If you have any reason to believe that your child has a greater health risk due to a medical condition or underlying health concern, you should seek medical advice before considering sending your child to camp. All the camps I spoke with uniformly required, the parents or guardians of campers that are at higher risk must consult with their child’s medical provider to assess their risk and determine if attendance is acceptable.

Megan:

Okay, well, the first thing that comes to mind for these summer programs is to focus on friendship and fun while helping kids be the best version of themselves. Is that possible? This summer?

Vicki:

Actually, yes! All the camps I spoke with said, this is what is not changing for camp this summer, positive role models, the staff are there to provide fun, adventure and tradition. They’re being outside. There’s less screen time. The campers will be able to get away from their screens and devices and just be a kid they’re going to be active. You know, they’re going to have fun, engaging physical activities. They’re meeting new friends. They have fun activities that they would likely not get to try outside of camp. They’re learning new skills. They’re socializing with peers who they’ve been away from for a long time during quarantine. And finally fun camp may look a little different this summer, but the fun adventure and tradition. Well, they’ll all still be there.

Megan:

Oh, that’s really great to hear. What can you tell us about the modifications, actions, and precautions we should expect to see?

Vicki:

So the biggest difference in the programs pretty much that I spoke with are they’re going to have a maximum group size, which would be 10 children, 10 campers, and a counselor that remained together at all times. And there’ll be six feet away from other groups. The groups will remain separated from each other and will not intermingle with the other groups. They’ll have daily health screenings of campers, staff and volunteers. And only one group will be inside one room or building at any one time. There’s going to be enhanced cleaning and sanitizing of equipment and activity areas. And some program activities will be limited to ensure effective cleaning between youth. And some of the programs that I spoke with previously had offered in years past, before and after childcare or bus service. And they will not be doing so this year, because they can’t intermix the groups throughout the entire day.

Megan:

That makes sense. So you mentioned no bus service for some programs that previously had it, what will drop off and pick up look like?

Vicki:

So with regards to drop off and pick up on regular days, the parents should not have to get out of their car during that check-in and check-out period. It is recommended that the same person picks up and drops off each day. And they’re asked to wear a face covering. Typically most programs will have staggered pickup and drop off times for families just to reduce congestion, or they’ll also add more drop off and pickup locations. And prior to the session, they will email directly to the parents, you know exactly where and when they need to drop off.

Megan:

And you mentioned adults dropping off are being asked to wear a face mask for children, do you required to wear a mask at all?

Vicki:

No, it’s not required at most camps, but some camps are recommending it and others say it’s up to the parents.

Megan:

Okay. And after dropping off, what are the next steps for the children? Once they’re at camp

Vicki:

Health screenings, daily health screens will be required for each staff and the camper this summer. They’ll all have daily wellness cards, which will be sent home, you know, prior to the program starting. Every morning, the parents will need to send it completed. On that sheet, it will be recorded temperature, how they are feeling, have they been in contact with anyone sick. And at the drop-off, the staff will verify the temperatures with their own thermometers prior to the campers, joining their camp groups.

Megan:

And what if a camper our staff member has a fever or feel sick?

Vicki:

So if they have a fever or feel sick and it’s after drop-off, the parents will be called to pick them up. Prior to drop-off or if they have a fever over a 100.4 Degrees, they should stay home. Also, if they are someone in the house test positive for COVID-19, they should stay home and follow any of the safety protocols that were outlined when they signed up for camp this summer.

Megan:

And you keep mentioning drop off and pickup and the daily checks does that mean there’s not going to be any overnight programs or camps.

Vicki:

So it varies state by state, but where I am in the Northeast and in many states, I investigated, there are no overnights or offsite field trips for the summer of 2020. There are some instances where specialty camps are exploring possibly some busing for gymnastics or farm or golf camps with some type of modifications. But right now none of that is in place. And they’re just trying to see how things are unfolding just with the basic on-site day camps. And then later in the summer, they may add that.

Megan:

Okay, another question I have pertains to inclement weather. What are the different plans for that, with you know, due to COVID-19 I’m thinking that the need for separation of the groups and trying to bring them all inside could perhaps be problematic.

Vicki:

Yeah, and I’m really glad you brought that up. This is one of the things that differs for a variety of reasons. So I’m going to, I’m going to give you two examples between two YMCA’s camps here in Connecticut. So there is a YMCA camp that has always been just a day camp. And then there’s a different YMCA camp that has been a day and overnight camp. So that camp that had the overnight program, although it’s only doing day camp this summer, it has a much bigger footprint. It has more acreage, it has cabins, has a dining hall, arts center. So they have a more straightforward path to just camp in general this summer because they have an implement weather option. They have plenty of room, they have covered areas where the groups can be assigned to. They have enough cabins that the same group could be inside during inclement weather at any time.

Vicki:

And they’re also going to be able to offer a before and after childcare because they are in the unique situation with having so much room. They can do that. The other Y camp, which was just a day program, historically, they don’t have a lot of acres. They don’t have cabins, they don’t have dining halls. So they’re not going to be able to use the few tents that they previously huddled in for activities during rain in years past. Unfortunately, if there’s a forecast and severe weather day, that camp will be canceled. Families will know the night before if a camp day will be canceled. And most of the camps I talked to will give credits for any days canceled. On forecasted severe storm days that come later in the day, the campers may need to be picked up early and on light rain days, you know, camp we’ll run this plan and the camper should dress accordingly.

Megan:

Wow. That’s quite a bit of planning and contingency for parents to be, to be prepared for and, and to think about there’s two other things that I wanted to ask before we close the first is about the hygiene of campers and staff.

Vicki:

So that’s another excellent question. And that actually will be the key to the success of this. What I call modified camp experiment. That is so new to everyone. If the staff, which I’m confident are trained and very likely to comply with the following things I’m going to discuss, that will be sort of the secret sauce. And hopefully what those particular things are that the staff is trying to put out for the kids will be reinforced by the parents, and along with good, consistent routines, and they’re adding signage to discuss these things. Preventing infections through hand, washing cleaning, and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, cover costs and sneezes face coverings, modified programming, minimizing interaction, maximizing physical distance. So for hand-washing, wash your hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds. We’ve been talking about that for months, but it is primarily the most important thing. When soap isn’t available.

Vicki:

Use the hand sanitizer, which contains at least 60% alcohol, and make sure that they cover all surfaces of their hands, and rub them till they feel dry. There’s going to be a big focus on supervising younger children. When they use hand sanitizer. They’re going to observe all children washing hands. They’re going to post notices describing hand-washing. They’re going to have them, remind them, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and all the staff and children and volunteers will be following hand hygiene at arrival, after breaks, before and after preparing food and drinks, before and after eating or handling food, before and after administering medication, after using the toilet, after playing outdoors, after handling garbage, and after blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing. So all of those things, although they seem like a lot, they go back to hand washing and hygiene, and if they do that, they should be in good shape. The last thing is, they’re going to remind the kids if you’ve got a cough or sneeze, cover your mouth or nose with a tissue, and if not just cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.

Megan:

Indeed an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I imagine that this infection of surfaces would involve routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces with soap, water, or perhaps another detergent, EPA registered household disinfectant or diluted bleach solution or an alcohol solution with at least 70% alcohol. Also for the camps where there’s food service, there would be increased cleaning before and after each meal is served and all persons entering and exiting the building will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer.

Vicki:

Yeah, Meghan, absolutely. Those are going to be the standard operating procedures for all the camps I spoke with for camps that don’t have dining halls and campers bring their own food. They have specific requirements, which they will review with the parents and the campers. And also in terms of restrooms, they will be cleaned and disinfected every hour where the campers are onsite.

Megan:

Wow. Great. Okay. Sounds like they’re doing, as much as they can to keep everyone safe. And the final question I have is about what measures that are going to be used with regard to materials or equipment for activities.

Vicki:

Yeah. So with the directors I talked to, this actually is an area where they have put a lot of thought and resources and come up with creative solutions. Some of these pertain to the types of camp, and they might only be applicable to the ones that had previously been overnight camps. So, I’ll differentiate between that. So with regard to creative arts individual kits will be made for certain activities to prevent campers from reaching for the same materials. Counselors will hand out materials as needed, so the campers are not potentially touching materials that others could use. Both campers and staff will wash hands, and when not able, to use the hand sanitizer before in between each activity. All the services tables, benches, and chairs will be sprayed and wiped down. And many of the smaller day camps will have their group of 10, always using the same chairs and benches throughout the day to minimize the need for cleaning. Small program equipment when necessary will be provided in each group, so they won’t have to share. And instances where that’s not feasible, those things will be sanitized between camp. And also large program equipment, such as boats, bikes, kayaks. Those will be sanitized between the uses of campers. So it sounds like they really got everything covered.

Megan:

Wow. Great. Well, thank you so much Vicky, for your time and for sharing your timely research with us today. I think I speak for kids and parents alike. When I say how happy and grateful I am that camps and programs are taking these, big precautions that have been very creative with their solutions so that they’re able to hold camp this year and, and kind of carry on those camp traditions that we all know and love. So thank you so much for listening everyone and stay tuned for more HMC HealthWorks podcasts.