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
Video shows suspect setting Toronto-area barbershop on fire
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Premier Legault reiterates that McGill pro-Palestinian camp must be dismantled
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
'I have the will to live': N.B. woman needs double lung transplant
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.