TESTING.
Campers will need to be tested prior to and upon arrival to camp for double testing.
Fortunately, we have are finalizing our relationship with a testing company from Rutgers, Value Health, who is able to provide mailed testing kits for campers. These tests have a number of benefits:
1- No separate physician’s script is needed to obtain the test. This is included as part of the service.
2- Mailed. BOTH tests are mailed to parents’ home. Parents can administer the first test (these are saliva tests) at home, and a pre-paid envelope is included for this to be returned to the lab. Parents can then BRING the second kit (unopened) with them to camp- and they can be adminster and taken immediately to the Rutgers lab for immediate processing for all campers.
3- Reimbursable. Each test is $150, for a total of $300. Valuehealth then provides parents what is referred to as a “super bill” which is ready to be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement immediately. Under the new law, all coronavirus testing must be covered by health insurance.
4- Quick turnaround. We will be able to obtain the results shortly ahead of time, meaning you will only have to quarantine for a short period after submitting your tests.
I will be sending out the link for parents to order the tests as we go through enrollments and confirm enrollments for 2020. The tests can be ordered a few weeks in advance and in fact the company does advise this.
CLEANING and PPE- UPDATE.
During camp added sanitation and disinfection will occur in bunks, dining hall, and program areas and more as described in my prior information. Additional hand sanitizer and hand washing locations will be installed in bunk groups and near areas such as the dining hall. We have already placed orders through a company we have connected with in line with ACA recommendations to obtain PPE such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and more.
In addition to the added sanitation practices during active camp, we have worked with a number of contractors to come out who provide commercial cleaning services and have now selected one we feel best understands our needs. This provider has given us an overview of specifically how the disinfectant procedures fit our property following the pandemic specifications for cleaning and disinfecting. This is an additional, thorough service we feel is beneficial to solely focus on disinfection of the campus prior to the arrival of campers on July 11th.
FLIGHT CAMPERS.
Summit will not be able to provide airport pick up, as it would result in breaking the staff quarantine and isolation we have created in the prior 3 weeks at the camp. However, if a parent wishes to accompany with their camper by flight that can be accepted under the circumstances that;
-Parent ensures both themselves and the camper use recommended mitigation strategies throughout their transport to the camp;
-Parent uses a rental vehicle to bring their camper to camp.
-Luggage and medication are delivered ahead of camp as expected by all families and not brought on the flight.
Our position on transport is that all campers will be transported from a starting location – ALL families, either driving or flying, are going to need to ensure social distancing and other recommended strategies be it stopping for gasoline or restroom services or coming via flight. Thus, the immediate second round of testing is crucial for ALL campers given this reality.
STAFF ARRIVALS AND TESTING.
Staff will be quarantining and under an isolation program while at camp this summer. This will start from their arrival date in late June. Staff will undergo the same testing and intake measures as all campers will be undergoing. Camp will provide time off and other amenities that ensure camp staff groups are supported and yet stay with the camp social cohort in relation to exposures, through the use of our properties for time off.
PROGRAM CHANGES & ALL CAMPS.
In the initial document, “all camp” activities were described as being outdoors. I mean to clarify that “ALL-CAMP” is a specific type of activity usually held in the REC HALL (a magic show, and talent show, social, etc.) that includes literally every camper on camp. These specific events will be transitioned to outdoors. Regular programs will be continue to be held in their areas; campers will be with their specific groups (as usual in prior years).
The first week of camp small groups and separation will be maintained, to allow for a period in which second round of testing is returned. After this period, we will be able to include our larger group programs such as horseshoe and socials in a more typical manner.
In regards to sport and contact activities. Sport activities such as playing basketball games where campers shoot baskets and do drills are absolutely included. However contact sports like GAGA will be suspended indefinitely for this season.
HIGH-RISK CAMPERS.
Please note the following excerpt from the ACA Guidelines provided to us re: Coronavirus regarding high risk individuals.
“PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF SEVERE ILLNESS FROM COVID-19
Currently, information indicates that older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Those at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are people aged 65 years and older.
Those at high risk include people of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
• People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
• People who have serious heart conditions
• People who are immunocompromised
− Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications
• People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
• People with diabetes
• People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
• People with liver disease
Camp directors and administrators are advised to implement pre-screening of campers and staff for medical clearance to attend camp by their primary care providers before presenting to camp. Primary care providers are best position to make a professional judgement based upon an individual’s health status and their suitability for the camp environment at this time. This information provides camp directors with information on what precautions are required or may be appropriate to protect those at higher risk for severe illness.”
Given this advisory we will review all camper and staff health history forms accordingly and may ask for additional documentation from your regular care physician in relation to their judgement on attendance. Please consider this is in your decision making about attendance.
Note that campers AND staff will be under isolation conditions during their time at camp, following multiple rounds of testing- thus making their risk of transmission back home to other people in the family or community who do fall within this parameter very low.
HEALTH SERVICES and IN THE CASE OF ILLNESS.
As you are likely aware Summit has a well-staffed health center including multiple RN and LPN and an on-call pediatrician. We are also connected to the Wayne Co. Memorial health system.
This summer, in addition to our updated intake procedure, we will also be doing increased daily health precautions. These include daily temperature checks and potentially oxygen/pulse checks depending on the advisement of the health team.
We will continue doing medication distribution at the bunks and in the dining hall which has always been our procedure, as it significantly limits the health center ‘traffic’.
Please note that if a camper tests positive in the at home test prior to coming to camp, they will not be able to attend camp in 2020, even with delay. All campers must be healthy and able to start on the July 11th weekend.
In the unlikely case of an COVID-19 specific illness definitively occurring at the camp property following the precautions we have instituted for both campers and staff;
1-In the first 48 hours of camp, we will be using strong mitigation strategies until the second round of tests are returned. Campers will be in their unit group with unit only staff only. Thus, if a camper tests positive in their secondary test taken immediately upon arrival, this camper will be separated with specified staff and parents will be notified to retrieve the camper immediately- and highly recommended to seek an additional test immediately upon departure, be it at Wayne county or their home area. The remaining campers in the unit group and their staff will then be re-tested as well.
2- If, after the second round of testing has been returned entirely negative, a camper becomes ill and shows symptoms that are known to be related to COVID-19, they will be cared for in the already established isolation quarters, where their symptoms can be monitored and they can be re-tested as needed. If that camper then tests positive, contact tracing on camp will result in a further retest of, at a minimum, their bunk group but up to the full camp population to ensure no spread.
3- If testing results in multiple positive results at any time among any group ALL parents shall be asked to retrieve their children, and follow up testing will be strongly advised, even if the camper him/herself has recently tested negative.
In the case a camper becomes ill or needs treatment but does not appear to show COVID-19 known symptoms, he or she will remain in the health center and will be monitored 24 hours until full recovery and/or a change in symptoms determines a need for further assessment.
As always, parents will be notified:
-In the case of any illness
-Updated of progress
-In the case of any additional testing