NC summer day camps may open in Phase One. Future of overnight camps uncertain
When registration for North Carolina summer camps started, it was still winter — before the coronavirus pandemic changed everyone’s lives.
Now that Phase One of Gov. Roy Cooper’s reopening plan starts at 5 p.m. Friday, parents and children are again asking if summer camps will still be open this summer.
While school buildings are closed the rest of this school year, remote digital learning is underway. The traditional calendar school year ends on June 12 for the Wake County Public School System, the largest school system in North Carolina. WCPSS has nearly 162,000 students.
On Tuesday, Cooper signed a new executive order that allows childcare centers to reopen for working parents and for summer day camps to open. Here is where statewide rules stand and what local camps are planning:
Summer day camps may open
The governor said summer day camps may open during Phase One as long as they follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services rules.
His executive order prohibits day camps and programs for children and teenagers from offering sports and other activities without social distancing. Only sports that don’t require close contact are permitted, and only activities that allow campers to stay at least six feet apart
According to the order, day camps may permit swimming if the local health department allows the pool to be used by attendees of the day camp only, not the general public.
No overnight camps in Phase One
No overnight camps are permitted under Phase One.
So what about Phase Two?
Cooper tweeted a clarification about overnight summer camps after his press conference Tuesday, saying “North Carolina is awaiting national guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Camp Association to determine if they may open in Phase 2.”
Cooper’s Phase One order will end May 22 and move into Phase Two if the state stays on track meeting benchmarks to enter the next phase.
The American Camp Association has a field guide for camps to follow rules for camper and staff health, testing and screening and preventing spread.
Status of day camps
Here is the status of the Triangle’s major summer camps:
▪ City of Raleigh
“We are continuing to assess opening our programs including summer camps,” Cara McLeod of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department told The News & Observer in an email.
“We are using Governor Cooper’s phased reopening as a guide, but also taking into consideration how we can best manage summer camps and still maintain small group sizes, social distancing guidelines, and other measures to keep campers safe,” McLeod said.
She said if camps are canceled, registrants will receive 100% refund or credit. The city will post updates at raleighnc.gov/SupportPages/parks-covid-19-information.
▪ YMCA of the Triangle
YMCA of the Triangle is still deciding what to do about summer day camps, which start in June.
YMCA is already operating Camp Hope, which is childcare for essential workers during the mandated shutdowns. It operates in compliance with local and state health department guidelines and practices social distancing, said YMCA spokesperson Jennifer Nelson via email.
“We continue to evaluate the CDC protocols, look to our own experience with YMCA Camp Hope, and wait for additional directives from local and state agencies to ensure a fun, safe summer for summer day campers and counselors this year,” Nelson said. “We are committed to informing parents as soon as that information is available.”
For overnight camps, the YMCA is still waiting on federal guidance to determine if they will be able to open in Phase Two.
“Currently, our overnight camp teams (Camp Sea Gull, Camp Seafarer and Camp Kanata) are considering all the factors that impact our ability to deliver a safe, fun and meaningful camp experience. We are committed to informing parents the week of May 18,” Nelson said via email.
Visit ymcatriangle.org/ for status updates on camps.
▪ Museum of Life and Science
Registration for summer day camps at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham remains open at summercamp.lifeandscience.org/.
▪ North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
The state Museum of Natural Sciences announced on its website that 2020 summer camps were canceled.
▪ Marbles Kids Museum
Marbles camp parents were sent an email last week that said Marbles is “hopeful that we will be able to keep our 2020 summer camp season on schedule, with amended policies and practices in response to COVID-19.”
Register at marbleskidsmuseum.org/summer-camp.
Staff writer Anna Johnson contributed to this story.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 2:47 PM.
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