Covid-19 and Summer Camp 2022
June 9, 2022
Presently, there are no Government regulations in place regarding summer camps. We also have not received any regulations from the Ontario Camps Association. Camps have been given some general recommendations and best practices and have otherwise been left to discern the best course of action for their individual situation. After much consideration of Cave Springs programming as well as conversations with other camps, we have decided on the following plan for Covid 19 safety this summer.
Our priority is to run the safest, most fun, and enriching programming possible this summer. We have struck a balance between caution and providing our campers with the most normal unrestricted programming we can safely provide. Our focus will be on preventing Covid 19 from coming on site and taking steps to prevent the spread of Covid 19 if anyone carrying it does come to the camp.
Our first line of defense is in vaccination. All Cave Springs staff and volunteers are fully vaccinated against Covid 19. We have not required Cave Springs campers to be vaccinated but I am happy to say that most of the campers registered for this summer are. We encourage all campers who can receive a full Covid 19 vaccination to do so.
Our second line of defense will be testing. All campers, staff, and volunteers will be rapid tested at the beginning of each week of camp. Tests will be provided by Cave Springs. Upon arriving for registration parents and guardians will be required to sign off to give Cave Springs permission to administer rapid tests on their children. We are giving the option for parents, or campers who are old enough, to perform the test themselves. This can be at home or at camp. We are also not requiring a nasopharyngeal swab (the one that goes way up the nose). Our tests are fine with a mouth or nasal swab no more than 2-3 cm in. If you would prefer to administer the test yourself that is totally fine.
Vaccination status will be checked at registration and any campers who are not vaccinated will be tested a second time on Wednesdays. We will administer the second test in a private way that won’t single out these campers. Vaccination status will not be shared among non-essential staff or campers. While rapid testing will be a huge help in preventing Covid 19 from coming on site, rapid tests are not the perfect solution so other precautions will be required.
Our third line of defense will be the steps we’ve taken to adapt our programming to limit the spread of Covid 19 if it does make it onto site. The majority of our programming is outdoors but when multiple camper groups are indoors together, we will be requiring masks to be worn. This is a fairly rare occurrence and may only be when we have inclement weather. Campers should be sent to camp with masks packed and Cave Springs will also have a supply of disposable masks. Masks will not be required for indoor eating times, but camper groups will eat as a group and not share tables with other groups.
The Cave Springs staff will be doing a full clean of all the common touch surfaces on site twice a day. Hand sanitizer will be distributed before activities that require common touch items. Common touch items will also be sanitized after use. An example of this would be the bows and arrows at archery.
While camper groups will have sometimes where they are separate, we will not be requiring full social distancing between cohorts like previous camp summers. Our goal is to limit the risk of exposure during our highest risk activities like times eating or indoors. For lower risk activities like swimming, outdoor games, or campfire, camper groups will be allowed to interact freely with considerations made for allowing voluntary distancing. Off-site trips like hikes and canoeing will be allowed this year with precautions taken to minimize outside exposures while off site.
If a camper were to arrive on site and test positive for Covid 19 at registration, they would not be allowed to attend Camp that week. If a camper presents Covid 19 symptoms during a week of camp, they will be rapid tested again. If the test is negative, they will be treated like any other sick camper at camp. If they test positive while at camp, they will be removed from programming and get to enjoy some small-scale personal camp activities in an isolation space until a parent or guardians is able to come to site to pick them up.
If a camper tests positive at camp, the primary contact for the campers in their group will be notified of the potential exposure. Staff who have had an exposure but are not presenting symptoms will monitor for symptoms, always wear a mask, and increase hand sanitizing for 5 days.
If a Day Camper tests positive during the week and they have a sibling who is also at camp the sibling will be allowed to stay at camp if the parents or guardians can provide proof that the sibling will be isolated from the camper with Covid 19. This can be achieved by isolating the camper when at home or by having the remaining sibling stay at another house for the remainder of camp. The same is true if someone at home tests positive for Covid 19. If a camper has been exposed but is not showing symptoms, they will follow the same procedure as staff which is mentioned above.
All in all, our plan is to be more flexible than camps have been able to be in the previous two summers. We are aware that the risk of Covid 19 is still present and aware that there is a growing desire to return to normal life. We will rely on you to continue to be cautious at home in keeping your children from unnecessary risk leading up to camp.
We would like as many campers as possible to have an amazing and safe time at Cave Springs this summer. We are excited to be able to create a space where children can feel safe to explore, have fun, and grow. Your children’s safety is our highest priority while at camp. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to admin@cavespringscamp.on.ca and we would be happy to speak further about this.
Covid-19 and Summer Camp 2021
June 3, 2021
Day Camps are included in Step 1 of the Ontario Opening plan, and after receiving and reviewing the official guidelines for Day Camps from the Ontario Camps Association, we are incredibly confident that our Day Camp program will have no issue running this summer.
We are on track to welcome our first week of campers on July 12th- and we absolutely CAN’T WAIT! Obviously, camp will look a little different this summer and our team is working hard to ensure that we are able to run a safe program that will still provide the most fun experience for our campers. We are excited to welcome campers back to camp after what has felt like the longest year ever. Kids need camp! We are thrilled to provide a safe, outdoor space for kids to socialize and make meaningful, lasting memories with friends at camp- new and old.
We appreciate the support of our community as we have set out to navigate what camp could possibly look like for us given the realities of 2021… and we are grateful to announce that almost every week of camp is now FULL. Waitlists are open for all full weeks, and limited spaces remain for Dragonflies (ages 5-6). Click here to join the waitlist, or to register for Dragonflies.
February 23, 2021
Upon careful consideration about how to safely operate during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have opened registration for our Day Camp program for Summer 2021 as of Saturday, February 20th.
Special considerations have been made in order for us to plan for the safest summer possible for our campers and staff. This will include increased sanitation of program areas and equipment, activities that allow for physical distancing and smaller group sizes. We will continue to follow the guidelines set in place by the Ontario government and the Ontario Camps Association to ensure safety for all. More information about our safety plan will be released. Please contact us with any questions, comments or concerns.
For more information and to register, head to our Day Camps 2021 page.
