May 28, 2021

The federal CDC updated their camp guidance today to reflect the changing landscape of masks and vaccination in the day and overnight camp settings. The full guidance can be found here, but some highlights for overnight camps are below.  In general, there are no major changes to the guidance we have been providing to this date.

MASKS

• Indoors. Mask use indoors is strongly encouraged for people who are not fully vaccinated including children. No child under the age of 2 should wear a mask.
• Outdoors. In general, people do not need to wear masks when outdoors.However, particularly in areas of substantial to high transmission, people who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to wear a mask in crowded outdoor settings or during activities that involve sustained close contact with other people who are not fully vaccinated.
  • We will be discussing how this guidance is interpreted for camp activities and sports in upcoming communication.

Camps may also choose to continue to require masks for vaccinated and not fully vaccinated campers and staff in order to adhere to prevention strategies when it is difficult to tell who has been vaccinated or to set an example for not fully vaccinated campers. Camps should be supportive of campers or staff who choose to wear a mask.

BUNK COHORTS (Overnight Camps):

• Household cohort members do not need to wear masks or physically distance when they are together without non-household cohort members nearby.
• However, campers and staff should always wear masks when together unless staff are fully vaccinated or 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, unless fully vaccinated campers and staff do not need to mask or distance per camp policy.
• If physical distancing can be maintained while outdoors, masks can be removed.

PHYSICAL DISTANCE:  People who are fully vaccinated do not need to physically distance.

• Promote physical distancing among staff and campers who are not fully vaccinated, indoors and outdoors, including maintaining
  • At least 6 feet between all campers outside of their cohort
  • At least 6 feet between staff outside their cohort
  • At least 6 feet between staff

TESTING
People who are fully vaccinated do not need to undergo routine COVID-19 screening testing. If a fully vaccinated person is exposed to someone with COVID-19, they do not need to be tested for COVID-19 unless they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Any person participating in camp activities who experiences COVID-19 symptoms should get a COVID-19 test.