FINAL Summer 2021 Report - Flipbook - Page 3
Facing The COVID Challenge
The Delta variant threw us for a loop in the months leading up to camp, but because of our
rigorous testing and cohorting strategy, we managed to keep COVID from making its way to
camp. This strategy relied on the advice of public health experts and advisors, including
Dr. Laura Blaidsdell, a board-certified, public health trained pediatrician and advocate with
expertise in vaccine policy and camp medicine. Because of our summer, 2021 success, Dr.
Blaidsdell will be including our data in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) to inform school recommendations based on the interventions and
outcomes seen at summer camps.
To keep our community safe:
• We conducted 1,331 pre-camp PCR tests, which identified 13 positive cases in campers
and staff members before coming to camp.
• We conducted 181 rapid antigen tests on arrival day for unvaccinated campers and staff,
which identified another 4 positive cases on arrival day, before campers were integrated into
their bunk cohorts.
• Campers and staff were cohorted into bunk groups throughout the week to minimize the
possibility of widespread virus transmission.
• Masks were worn anytime cohorts were within six feet of each other, such as in the dining
hall or at campfires.
• We operated buses at half capacity, shifted to outdoor dining, increased ventilation
wherever possible, and adapted programming to avoid close contacts.