Send those Five Towners to summer camp

As Covid-19 vaccinations continue to be administered and with summer a month away, Five Towns camps have begun to finalize their safety protocols for the reopening of a seasonal tradition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released safety protocols and guidelines for summer camps this year, and has strongly recommended that all staff members and campers get vaccines if they are eligible. 

“The CDC would like camps to follow the same social distancing protocols that are currently being used by schools, including keeping at least three feet between children and at least six feet when eating and drinking,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement on the agency’s website. “Additionally, most camp activities should be held outdoors, and if it is necessary to go indoors, there should be proper ventilation, including opening doors and windows when possible.”

On May 10, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for children and teenagers from ages 12 to 15.

After being closed last summer due to the pandemic, Lawrence Woodmere Academy’s summer day camp is set to reopen on June 28. There will be a few differences between the last time camp was open, in 2019, and now, camp director Candice Morgenlander noted.

“Usually we would have off-campus trips for campers aged third grade and up, but that has been canceled for this year,” Morgenlander said. “Rather than them leaving the campus, I’m planning to bring more special events onto the campus.” LWA summer campers range from ages 2 to 15.

Similar to protocols adopted by schools, Morgenlander explained, parents and staff members will answer a health questionnaire before campers arrive for the day. “As of now, my staff will be masked inside and outside,” she said. “However, my campers will be allowed to remove their masks when outside. We also have an air conditioned facility, so that’s great.”

When it comes to vaccinations, Morgenlander said the camp is not mandating them. As of now, vaccines are not mandatory for any camps in Nassau County. “We follow the directive of the county Health Department when it comes to this matter,” she said. “Most of my staff is in the education field, and they’re already vaccinated. As far as my campers go, that’s up to their families and the Department of Health.”

Camp enrollment is below its usual numbers, Morgenlander said. “I’m down about 70 kids from where I would typically be,” she said. “Truthfully, with the way things are right now, I’m very comfortable with that lower number right now, since I’ve had a tremendous enrollment over the past month.”

Hillel Day Camp, which uses the Lawrence campus of the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway, is set to open on June 28 and end on Aug. 18. The camp’s director, Evan Liebowitz, did not want to elaborate on the protocols.

“We are still in the process of finalizing, so I don’t want to go into depth on our guidelines yet,” Liebowitz said. “We recognize the importance of camp, but we need to do it in a safe manner in accordance with the Health Department recommendations and guidelines.” He added that before the pandemic, Hillel typically averaged roughly 900 campers and 300 staff members each summer.

Leibowitz noted that safety protocols are always subject to change before the start of camp. “What we have in place now can be very different from what will be in place two days before camp,” he said.

Hebrew Academy of Long Beach’s AVNET summer camp is also set to reopen on June 28. School officials had not responded to a request for comment at press time.

Despite the adjustments that have had to be made amid the pandemic, Morgenlander said she was excited for the campers to return this summer. “Although things are different for this summer, I still think it’s going to be great and fun for everyone,” she said. “My first priority is the safety of my staff and campers. My second biggest priority is for everyone to have fun.”

Have an opinion on summer camps reopening? Send a letter to jbessen@liherald.com.