PA Issues Guidance On Summer Camps, Pools During Coronavirus

HARRISBURG, PA — With summer creeping up and the coronavirus still restricting activity in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf's administration on Friday issued guidance on how summer activities, camps, and pools will operate during the pandemic.

Wolf's office released a frequently asked questions guide for parents, summer camp operators, public bathing places, part-day school-age programs, and other entities that offer child care and enrichment, as well as recreational activities in the summer.

Some key points in the guidance include:

• Indoor and outdoor summer programs activities are permitted and "green" and "yellow" counties
• Children are not required to wear masks or face coverings, but staffers are.
• Children should be separated into groups, and camps should limit mixing children, such as staggering playground times and keeping groups separate for special activities such as art, music, and exercising
• Public/community pools and other swimming areas can open if they are in "green" or "yellow" counties
• Organized sports are only permitted in counties in the green phase of the phased
  reopening plan.

You can see the full list of summer camp and pool guidelines here.

One thing to note is the guidance does not apply to public school-operated summer programs or extended school year services. Guidance on schools reopening will be released by the Pennsylvania Department of Education at later date.

"We understand the need to secure child care options as parents and caregivers return to work across the state," Wolf said. "And for providers of these programs to understand how they may operate. We hope that this guidance helps everyone in need of viable options for their children’s care and recreation this summer and eliminates some of the stress and worry associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is affecting our everyday lives."