Ontario camps using various strategies to prevent spread of COVID-19
For many Canadian children, summer camp is an annual ritual, as well as a much-appreciated break for parents.
“Last year when they announced there was going to be no camp, she cried almost every day the whole summer," mother Lauren Shulman said of her daughter.
Her two children - Addison, age 13, and Harrison, age 9, were delighted to be able to attend Camp Walden this year. They were eager to observe all recommended protocols, even before arriving at camp.
Two weeks before camp opened on July 2, the family was asked to isolate themselves as much as possible. They did PCR tests for COVID-19 just before coming up to the camp. And upon arrival, they were tested once again.
While Addison has had her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, Harrison is too young to get vaccinated.
“To be honest, I didn’t have any worries” says Shulman when asked whether she was concerned about her children getting together with other children. She pointed to the mild illnesses that the vast majority of children who got COVID-19 experienced and she believes the mental health benefits of overnight camp outweigh the risks.
Chief of Pediatrics at Lakeridge Health, Dr. Joan Abohweyere, agrees and said that camp provides the vital social interactions that children need to practice as they grow.
But she also says all children age 12-17 should be aiming to get their vaccinations now, especially while there is plenty of supply.
She says that will help not only at camp, but also for the start of in-person classes in the fall.
At the same time, Abohweyere says vaccines are not a silver bullet. Proper mask use, hand hygiene and maintaining consistent groupings for campers are also important strategies.
“At camp, kids are of different ages and they do different activities, so cohorting children is another way of limiting the spread (of illness)," Abohweyere said.
Shulman says her son actually keeps his mask on outside, despite being allowed to remove it for outdoor activities.
The Ontario Camps Association (OCA), which has about 400 members including day and overnight camps, has been working since last fall to established good safety protocols.
Chair Jack Goodman says camps began opening just after July 1.
Campers and staff were asked to provide proof of negative COVID-19 test results before coming to camp, and we’re tested again on arrival.
“We sort of encircled our bubbles," Goodman said. “We prevented non-essential visitors from coming in. Staff are staying in camp on their days off.”
No overnight camps with the OCA has had any COVID-19 cases so far. Two cases have been reported at a day camp that is not part of the OCA.
And if a suspected case of COVID-19 should arise, most camps have created double infirmaries - one for regular scrapes and bruises, and one for potential COVID-19 cases.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.