Summer Camp 2022 Covid Protocols

Summer 2022 Covid Protocols

At NovusWay Camps, Lutheridge, Lutherock, Luther Springs, and Lutheranch, one of our foundational goals in the summer of 2022 is to provide a healthy and safe place for campers, guests, and staff can gather in community in God’s good creation. To do this, we will work together to arrive healthy to camp, remain healthy while at camp, and maintain healthy environments for future campers and guests. After consultation with the NovusWay Covid Task-Force and input from the Program Directors of Lutheridge, Lutherock, Luther Springs, and Lutheranch, these will be the following COVID protocols for camp this summer. Camper families and all guests will have their week’s grouping/cohort requirements communicated to them in an email sent out on the Thursday before their week at camp. Levels may be different depending on which camp location you are attending. The current level of transmission that we are operating under at each camp can also be found on this website.

Current Transmission Level by site:

Lutheridge  Level:     YELLOW
Lutherock  Level:       GREEN
Luther Spring Level:  GREEN
Lutheranch  Level:     GREEN

What you can expect at each level:

Green (low transmission) –

1. Camps may utilize the following drop off procedure:
   1. Upon arrival at a check-in location for campers, only one to two adults in the family or camper group should exit their vehicle and bring campers forward for check-in. Please do not bring children who are not attending camp to registration.
   2. Campers and adults should be masked and will have their temperature taken before entering the check-in area.
   3. Camper and adults in a family or group should maintain at least six feet between themselves and other groups.
   4. Parents and guardians will be allowed a limited amount of time to get their child settled into their cabins. No more than two adults and two campers (plus staff) may be in the cabin or living space at one time during check-in.
2. Cohort/Family Groups:
   1. Program groups are matched with other program groups to form a larger cohort that can more freely interact with each other at camp. Cohorts are generally determined by program group.  Cohorts should be less than 100 people.
3. Masking:
   1. Minor use of masks in high-risk situations as designated by NovusWay and the camp’s Program Director.
   2. Parents/Guardians wear mask at drop off and while settling campers into cabin. Day Visitors wear masks when indoors with campers or in close contact with campers or staff.
   3. Campers and staff wear masks if they are within 10 days of a positive Covid test or have had close contact with a person who tested positive and are not vaccinated.
   4. General use of masks is not required. Campers and counselors are not required to mask while indoors or outdoors while on the camp property except during designated close contact activities or while interacting with the public outside of camp.

Yellow (medium transmission) –

1. Camps may utilize the following drop off procedure:
   1. Upon arrival at a check-in location for campers, only one to two adults in the family or camper group should exit their vehicle and bring campers forward for check-in. Please do not bring children who are not attending camp to registration.
   2. Campers and adults should be masked and will have their temperature taken before entering the check-in area.
   3. Camper and adults in a family or group should maintain at least six feet between themselves and other groups.
   4. Parents and guardians will be allowed a limited amount of time to get their child settled into their cabins. No more than two adults and two campers (plus staff) may be in the cabin or living space at one time during check-in.
2. Cohort/Family Groups:
   1. A cohort is made up of the entire program related group (usually multiple cabins) for the week your camper is registered at camp and is no more than 50 people).
3. Masking:
   1. Parents/Guardians wear mask at drop off and while settling campers into cabin. In some cases, the Director may ask parents to stay in the car at drop off and to wear a mask when they are interacting with staff (who come up to the car) to get luggage, forms, etc. Day Visitors wear masks when indoors with campers or in close contact with campers and staff.
   2. Campers and staff wear masks If they are within 10 days of a positive Covid test or have had close contact with a person who tested positive and are not vaccinated.
   3. Campers and counselors unmasked while outside. Campers and counselors unmasked while inside with cohort. Masks will be required when Indoors with another cohort or when in close contact with your own cohort (except while swimming, eating, or sleeping).  Masks may also be required if there are campers in the cohort who have lowered Immune systems.  Social distancing Is emphasized – 6 feet between participants whenever possible.

Red (high transmission) –

1. Drop-off procedures:
   1. At high/red levels of transmission (or Director may choose this drop off procedure if it better fits the needs of the camp), drop-off will be touchless. This is done to protect the camp community from having Covid-19 introduced unnecessarily.  In this case:
      1. Campers will be dropped off and will be the only ones who exit the car.
      2. Cars dropping off will be directed to locations to drop off paperwork, luggage, medicine, etc. and a staff member will approach the car to collect the needed information and supplies.
      3. If we are at the red transmission level, please have everyone in the car wear a mask for drop off.
   2. Please do not arrive early. Staff will be preparing to welcome your child safely. There will be no one available to do pre-camp screening until the designated check-in time.
2. Cohort/Family Groups:
   1. Family groups to include 1 to 2 cabin/adventure groups within their program to create a small cohort (generally no more than 30 people).
3. Masking:
   1. Parents/Guardians wear mask at drop off and do not exit the car.  Day Visitors wear masks when indoors with campers or any activity in close contact with campers or staff.
   2. Campers and staff wear masks If they are within 10 days of a positive Covid-19 test or have had close contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19, and they are not vaccinated.
   3. Campers and their counselors can be unmasked when with their family/cabin group while outside. They are masked when inside with their family/cabin group except when sleeping and eating. Campers and counselors mask when both indoors and outdoors with other family groups

Click here to read the complete Summer 2022 Covid Protocols

Our nine key strategies

1. Pre-Screening

Measures that campers and guests will need to take before coming to camp or documents they need to sign off on related to health or contact before camp, will be communicated, and provided to you at least 4 weeks before camp.

2.Testing

All staff will be tested at the beginning of staff orientation. Staff who are not vaccinated will be tested weekly. Campers and volunteers will not be tested unless we determine that we have moved to a high/red transmission rate or there is an outbreak of Covid-19 in the camper’s cohort.

3. Cohort/Family Groups

Many of the ACA’s recommendations are based on campers being assigned to specific cohorts or “family groups” during their time at camp. This is easy as the cabin group or adventure group is already central to our campers’ experience at our camps over the week. Interaction between cabin groups may be reduced to minimize contact and protect campers from transmission if we move to medium/yellow and high/red transmission levels.

4.Contact Tracing

Each camp has developed a contact tracing strategy that will allow us to quickly identify where and with whom campers and counselors were in contact while at camp. If someone becomes ill while on camp, it will allow us to quickly identify those that were around the sick person and keep them separated from the rest of the camp if the situation warrants.

5. Masking

The use of face coverings will depend on community transmission levels as defined by the CDC. If community transmission levels are low/green, face masks will only be required of day visitors who come in contact with campers, staff, or volunteers. Directors may also require masks to protect campers and staff who must come in very close contact for an extended period of time (more than 10 minutes). If the transmission level rises to medium/yellow or high/red, we will work to define places where face-covering is most needed and impactful. We will also define opportunities during your camper’s week when they can be safely face-covering free. The need for masks will be determined based on CDC and Health Department guidance.

6. Physical Distance

Within program groups at camp and between program groups, we will encourage appropriate six-foot distance between campers and staff. When this is not possible, or groups are inside, we may require face-covering if transmission levels warrant it.

7. Safety Culture

The measures we incorporate will be a part of our summer staff orientation and a part of the learning and growing we do together at camp. This will be just one more way that, as a camp community, we put others’ safety and care first.

8. Quality Ventilation

Camps will make every effort to provide a high degree of ventilation and air filtering in our facilities in order to decrease the risk of Covid-19 transmission.

9. Maximizing Outdoor Programming

We are an outdoor ministry. The safest place for all of us to gather during this pandemic is out in God’s good creation. We will be looking at ways to move even more activity outside and maximize the fun!