DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY/dewayne@mcnews.online
A recent directive issued by the Arkansas Department of Health opens the door for summer day camps to be made available with restrictions. This allows churches and local youth organizations an opportunity to host Vacation Bible Schools and art/science camps with restrictions.
The directive includes summer day camps held indoors or outdoors. These include vacation Bible school, band camps, and arts camps. No overnight stays are allowed as overnight camps are covered under a different directive. Sports camps are also covered under a different directive.
Restrictions include limiting persons with access to the facility to staff, campers and their parents/legal guardians, and professionals providing services to the campers.
Campers are to be dropped off and picked up outside the facility when possible with staggered times scheduled.
Class sizes should remain less than 10 campers while arranging seating to assure social distancing of at least six feet. Camp sizes should be limited to assure social distancing protocols.
Camper and staff grouping should change as little as possible. No outside field trips to be held.
Campers and staff over the age of 10 should wear masks. Frequently touched areas should be cleaned between uses, and/or as much as possible.
Do not treat sick children onsite. Sick children should remain home. If they become sick during camp they should be sent home as soon as possible.
Campers should be served individual meals and snacks.
No Vacation Bible Schools, or other summer day camps have been announced in Montgomery County. If you schedule a day camp please contact the Montgomery County News and we will share the information with our readers.
The directive has been included in it’s entirety below.
Directive Regarding Summer Day Camps
The Secretary of Health, in consultation with the Governor, has sole authority over all instances of quarantine, isolation, and restrictions on commerce and travel throughout Arkansas, as necessary and appropriate to control disease in the state of Arkansas as authorized by Ark. Code Ann. §20-7-109–110. Based on available scientific evidence, it is necessary and appropriate to take further action to ensure that COVID-19 remains controlled and that residents and visitors in Arkansas remain safe.
This directive of the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) addresses the operation of summer day camps throughout the state this summer. This directive is intended to cover organized, daytime group activities for children that may be outdoors or indoors, including vacation Bible school, band camps, and arts camps. Overnight stays as part of a day camp’s activities are prohibited. This directive is not intended to cover sports day camps, which will be covered under the Directive for Community and School Sponsored Team Sports. As restrictions on social gatherings are gradually reduced, summer day camps may begin to operate as long as they follow the measures below to protect the health of attendees and staff. Taking these proactive measures will help limit the spread of COVID-19 and help safeguard children and their families.
Summer Day camps must prohibit persons from the facility except:
o Camp or facility staff;
o Children enrolled at the camp;
o Parents or legal guardians who have children enrolled and present at the facility; and
o Professionals providing services to children.
The camp must require children to be picked up and dropped off outside the facility, unless it is determined there is a legitimate need for the parent to enter a facility. Stagger drop-off and pick- up times if possible.
All efforts should be made to limit the congregation of children. Class sizes should be limited to 10 or less.
As much as possible, maintain physical distancing of 6 feet (space seating, etc.).
Ensure student and staff groupings change as little as possible by having the same group of children stay with the same staff (all day for young children and as much as possible for older children). Limit mixing between groups.
Limit camp enrollment to numbers that will allow for proper physical distancing.
The size of gatherings, events, and activities during the day should be sufficiently limited to allow for proper physical distancing and support proper hand hygiene.
Prohibit all field trips and events with outside groups or other camps in this phase.
Staff and campers 10 years of age and older should wear cloth face coverings to diminish potential spread from people who might be asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic for COVID-19 infection. For safety reasons, under no circumstances should a mask be placed on a child under 2 years of age Face coverings are not required for children under the age of 10, as many children in this group will have difficulty consistently wearing a mask. However, if a child older than 2 but younger than 10 is able to consistently wear a face covering, it is encouraged. Face coverings are not required while exercising.
Areas that are frequently touched—such as playground equipment, shared objects/toys, door handles, drinking fountain, and sink handles—should be cleaned and disinfected between uses, or at least frequently throughout the day.
Do not allow sick children to be cared for in the facility. Sick children should stay at home. If a child becomes sick while at the day camp, contact the parent or guardian immediately and separate the child from other children at the camp.
Ensure that each child is provided individual meals and snacks. Do not serve family style meals. Mealtimes should occur in classrooms if at all possible. Close communal use spaces such as dining halls and playgrounds if possible; otherwise stagger use and disinfect in between use.
Screening criteria
Advise campers and families in advance about COVID-19 symptoms and exclusions, and place signage at all entrances. These signs should inform campers and staff that those who have any of the following characteristics should NOT be allowed to enter:
o Have had a fever of 100.4°F or greater in the last 2 days;
o Have a cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell;
o Had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19 in the previous 14 days
Advise campers and staff/volunteers that some people may wish to refrain from entering. Place signage at all entrances alerting campers and staff that it may not be safe for the following people to enter:
o Individuals who are 65 years of age or older.
o Individuals of any age with underlying health conditions, including high blood pressure,
chronic lung disease, diabetes, severe obesity, asthma or weakened immunity.
Screen staff/volunteers for fever, cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat or loss of taste or smell upon arrival; exclude from work all who are ill. Camps could also opt to check temperatures and ask the above screening questions of all who enter to ensure no one who is ill or exposed enters the camp. A screening tool is available here: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/pdf/Screening_Tool4.27.20.pdf
Note: This directive does not address overnight or residential camps, which will be addressed in a
separate document.
Note: For venues, such as museums, that host day camps that are separate from their normal exhibits or operations, the number of campers does not count toward their 33% occupancy limit, as long the campers are kept in an area separate from those entering for normal operations.
ADH will continue to closely monitor the evolving novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. These measures will remain in place until data on the severity of the local COVID-19 epidemic indicate it is safe to further relax measures.
For a sign warning who should not enter:
https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/pdf/COVID-19_No_Entry.pdf
Tool to help decide if your camp should open:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/Camps-Decision-Tree.pdf
General Protection Guidelines for settings caring for children:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/index.html
Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/disinfecting-building-facility.html