Rhode Island Announces Regulations For 2020 Summer Camps

PROVIDENCE, RI — Once week after Gov. Gina Raimondo announced that summer camps will be allowed in Rhode Island this year, the state released a set of guidelines to keep kids and employees safe. All camp leaders must create a plan, similar to those of businesses and restaurants, which outlines how cleaning, distancing and other safety measures will be addressed.

"We want parents to have confidence that if a camp is open it is safe to send your children," Raimondo said Thursday. "They are going to screen your kids every day to make sure they are not sick."

Camps will be allowed to reopen starting June 29, Raimondo said. An overview of regulations is outlined below. More information is available on the Reopening RI website.

Stable groups

Groups of children ages five and older will be limited to 15 people or fewer. Groups must be stable, meaning the same groups of children are together each day. These groups cannot be combined for pick-up, drop-off or other activities, such as time on the playground or sports. Children must stay in the same groups for the entirety of the session.

The groups must occupy the same space every day, as well, and must be divided into classrooms or other separate areas. Large spaces such as gymnasiums can be broken up using dividers. Partitions can be half walls, though all must be at least four feet tall and taller than all campers' heads. These dividers should be secured to avoid tipping or falling.

While social distancing is recommended, it is not required within stable groups. Children within groups can play close together, though 14 feet of space is recommended between separate groups.

Infection control

Camps will be required to clean and sanitize facilities regularly, ensuring proper disinfection and ventilation to prevent the spread of disease. High-touch surfaces must be cleaned throughout the day, and shared objects must be sanitized between each use.

Porous items such as bean bag chairs and stuffed animals are difficult to clean effectively, and are discouraged.

Camp staff are encouraged to take extra precautions to ensure children cannot access cleaning products, which can be harmful or toxic if ingested. This could include locking areas where cleaning products are stored or disinfecting when children are not present.

Everyone should be screened for symptoms before entering. Posters should be prominently displayed with symptom information about COVID-19, and a verbal screening should take place upon arrival. Anyone with symptoms that cannot be explained by allergies or another non-infectious illness should be turned away.

Face masks

All adult staff will be required to wear fabric face coverings. All employees and visitors must also wear a face covering unless they can easily stay 6 feet away from others. Camp counselors under the age of 18 are expected to follow this guidance as well.

Children will not be required to wear a mask unless they can do so comfortably for a long period of time. The Rhode Island Department of Health acknowledged that mask-wearing in children can make it difficult to breathe and socialize with peers, and masks should never be placed on a child younger than 2 years old.

Drop-off/pick-up

Camps must create protocols to meet the guidelines of the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Rather than a large, communal are such as a gymnasium, drop-off and dismissal should happen from smaller, specified areas, be staggered based on age groups or have counselors bring children directly to their parent's car.

Parents who enter the building are strongly encouraged to sanitize hands upon entry.

Other

• Large group sports will not be permitted. Instead, camps are encouraged to practice drills and have small games within their stable groups.
• All camps must have and maintain an adequate supply of hand sanitizer, cleaning products and anything else needed to ensure safety of children and staff.
• "Sleep-away" camps are required to follow all of these regulations as well.
• Camps are asked to refer to the latest guidance from the department of health about pools and other water activities.