2024 COVID-19 Planning

Last Updated 5/27/24

As we plan for our third in-person camp since the start of the pandemic, the health and safety of the Epsilon Camp community continues to be our top priority. While COVID-19 is still present, great progress has been made in protecting individuals from severe illness. Our 2024 COVID-19 protocols reflect the CDC’s updated guidance for COVID-19, which is now in line with influenza and other respiratory illnesses.  

We will continue to take necessary precautions to minimize possible disruptions to our summer programming, and reserve the right to adjust our policies in response to changing circumstances.

Vaccination 

We strongly recommend that all Epsilon Camp participants - staff, faculty, campers, and family members attending camp - be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, including any boosters recommended by the CDC at the time of camp.

preventing community spread

Epsilon Camp attendees are expected to practice good hygiene to limit the spread of illness. This includes washing and sanitizing hands often, particularly before meals, not sharing food/beverages with others, and wearing masks for chronic coughs and sneezes. All camp participants should self-monitor their health while at camp. A participant exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory virus, or any other communicable disease, should notify camp staff immediately via email to health@epsiloncamp.org (we will also set up a phone number to text). Such symptoms include, but are not limited to, fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Per CDC’s guidance on preventing the spread of respiratory viruses, any participant exhibiting symptoms should stay in their dorm room and away from others for a minimum of 24 hours. Such attendees may go back to participating in camp activities if, for at least a 24-hour period, their symptoms have been getting better overall, and they have not had a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication. Participants who have been confirmed by staff to be fever-free for at least 24 hours and permitted to return to class or other camp activities should take added precautions over the next 5 days to minimize community spread. Attendees still exhibiting any respiratory symptoms (e.g., coughing) will be required to wear high-quality masks (such as N95, KN95, or KF94) indoors or when in close contact with others. 

Testing and Screening

We encourage camp participants to get tested for COVID-19 prior to initiating travel to camp, particularly in the event of a recent exposure. When traveling to camp we strongly recommend that participants wear high-quality masks if traveling by air or using public transport/ride sharing.

We will have COVID-19 tests on hand and available for participants who exhibit respiratory virus symptoms. Participants who test positive for COVID-19 will be asked to follow the protocols described above in order to prevent community spread. 

We reserve the right to conduct testing or other screening methods, such as temperature checks, on camp participants on an as-needed basis. 

Respecting Individual Choices and Preferences

We recognize that there will be differences in risk assessment and risk tolerance among families attending Epsilon Camp this summer. We ask that all Epsilon Camp participants act with consideration and respect for those whose tolerances may be different from theirs.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the guidelines outlined on this page, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are committed to making Epsilon Camp a safe, fun, and fulfilling experience for our campers and families, and will work with you to address any issues you may have.