2023 Covid-19 Summer Camp Policies

In 2023, Gorman Heritage Farm Summer Day Camp continues to be informed by the Centers for Disease Control, the State of Ohio Department of Health, and the American Camp Association.  GHF Summer Day Camp maintains our accreditation by the American Camp Association (ACA), which means we are already in compliance with 300+ standards that cover all aspects of camp from health care to programs, management, and staffing. 

Below are our 2023 Updated Policies and Procedures for Covid-19. If you have any questions about these policies and procedures, please reach out by emailing camp@gormanfarm.org.

At a glance:

Gorman Heritage Farm (GHF) day camp will operate both indoors and outdoors. 

Campers will be dropped off and enter a building to start their day. Efforts will be made to spend as much of the day outside as possible.  If campers must eat indoors due to inclement weather when the COVID-19 Community Level for Hamilton County is MEDIUM or HIGH, campers will sit 3 feet apart from fellow campers and will re-mask when they are finished eating.  2023 trail group maximums will remain at 12 campers per group.  

FAQs:

*Please note this policy is subject to change if guidance is updated. We model our mask policy on the guidelines presented in “Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning” (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-childcare-guidance.html#anchor_1648821092381). When the COVID-19 Community Level indicates an increase, we will implement layered prevention strategies such as masking in order to keep our camp safely open throughout the summer.*

When the COVID-19 Community Level for Hamilton County is LOW, the following policies will apply:

  • Campers will NOT be required to wear masks while indoors. Efforts will always be made to spend as much of the day outside as possible, while also being mindful of safety during inclement weather and high summer temperatures.

When the COVID-19 Community Level for Hamilton County is MEDIUM or HIGH, the following policies will apply:

  • Campers must wear masks when indoors and when in close proximity to one another, such as inside our buildings and barns.  Campers should arrive to camp with their mask on and wear it during the entire arrival process.  They should keep their mask handy throughout the day, for example hanging around their neck, or in a small pocket in a plastic baggie inside their backpack.
  • For much of the day whenever outside – like hiking to the farmyard, doing activities outdoors, playing running games in the grass, etc. – campers will not be wearing a mask unless it is their choice to do so.
  • Counselors will be trained in directing campers how to properly wear their masks (over their nose and mouth, and not using a mask that is wet). We will provide child-sized masks for those who run out of usable masks during the day.
  • How will you run chef camp when COVID-19 Community Level for Hamilton County is MEDIUM or HIGH? Chef Camps will run indoors in 2023 in our new education kitchen.  For Farm Chef Camp and Young Farm Chef Camp, campers will need to be masked while we are indoors preparing our food, which is a larger portion of the day than other camps.  We will designate a space where campers can take a mask break on the other side of the room, and we will take plenty of breaks to go outside as a group (like for harvesting, hiking and eating lunch).

What if someone gets sick at camp?

Following guidelines, if a camper develops a fever or otherwise exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 or any other ailment, they will be required to wear a well-fitting mask while indoors. If they are unable to wear a mask, the camper will be moved to an isolated location, while being supervised by two staff members wearing Personal Protective Equipment. Their family will be notified and they must be picked up from camp as soon as possible. 

What if a camper is reported sick outside of camp hours?

Camp families will be notified in the event a serious, contagious illness, including Covid19, is detected at camp. This will be done anonymously. 

What if a counselor gets sick at camp?

If a counselor gets sick at camp, they will immediately go home and be quarantined until they can be tested for the Covid-19. Camp staff will participate in a daily symptoms check. If camp staff are symptomatic, or have a temperature above 100 degrees, they will not report for work, and they will immediately seek testing.

Our summer camp will have a supply of Covid-19 rapid tests that can be used by counselors and campers, if the camp families would like to have a test for their camper. 

As per CDC guidelines, any staff who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate at home for 5 full days following the positive test result. Staff may return to work on the 6th day after a positive test result if their symptoms are improving, and they must mask for an additional 5 days following isolation.

Updates to our policies and procedures in light of COVID-19

GHF will have important information in our Welcome Emails, typically sent out the Friday before camp. These Welcome Emails will detail the check in/check out procedure and contain reminders and further updates to our COVID-19 policies. They will also include information about the current COVID–19 community levels and whether masking will be required indoors during that week of camp.

Is my camper well enough to attend camp?

We will rely on families to complete a DAILY SELF CHECK on their campers.  IF YOUR CAMPER SAYS THEY DO NOT FEEL WELL ON A MORNING OF CAMP, DO NOT SEND THEM TO CAMP.  If you’re not sure, we encourage you to take their temperature at home. If your camper has a temperature of 100 degrees or higher, then do not send your camper to camp.  

First, to the best of your knowledge, consider these general COVID-19 screening questions:

  • In the last 5 days, has your camper tested positive for COVID-19? Please do not send your camper to camp if they have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 5 days.
  • If your camper tested positive for COVID-19 more than 5 days prior to the start of camp and their symptoms are improving, they may attend camp while wearing a mask indoors until the 10th full day following the positive test result (please see CDC guidelines at  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html).
  • In the last 10 days, has your camper had *close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19?  Per CDC guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html), they can still come to camp provided they wear a mask indoors until the 10th full day following the exposure.

*CLOSE = within 6 feet for a period of time longer than 15 minutes

 At check-in, we will also ask campers how they are feeling.  If they’re not feeling 100% and their temperature has not been taken at home, we will have thermometers available.  Gorman staff reserves the right to take the temperature of any camper we deem necessary at arrival or throughout the day.

GHF will immediately send home any child or employee who has a temperature of 99 degrees or higher or otherwise displays symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, chills, runny nose, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing).

Confirmed cases at camp:

If it becomes known during the course of a camp week that a camper or counselor has tested positive for Covid, that camper’s trail group (and aftercare group, if necessary) will be notified via email as soon as possible. Anonymity will be maintained. Campers in that trail group may continue coming to camp, and the camp will continue, with all other campers in that trail group masking while indoors for 10 days following the confirmed exposure. Individuals within that group may wish to be tested 6 days following the exposure. Camp counselors who worked with that trail group will test prior to the beginning of the following week of camp. If a camp counselor tests positive, they will follow GHF staff policy and quarantine at home 5 days from onset of symptoms and masking indoors and outside for an additional 5 days once symptoms have subsided upon return to work.

THANK YOU for choosing Gorman Heritage Farm Summer Camp! It is our pleasure to provide a safe, fun, enriching summer camp experience for your family.