COVID-19 Camp Policy & Procedures

The pandemic has caused many changes in our lives, but the need for us to be in community and to experience God’s generosity through creation has not diminished; it has only increased. At Don Lee Camp & Retreat Center, we believe we have developed policies and procedures that, when followed cooperatively with our guests, can provide a fun and spirit-renewing experience at our beautiful location on the Neuse River Estuary. We are thankful that for 2023 we operated very similarly to how we operated pre-COVID. We continue encouraging hand washing, regular cabin cleaning, and staying home if you have symptoms, fever, or are feeling unwell.

Below is our Covid policies and procedures we followed for Summer Camp 2022 & School Groups/Retreats 2022:

Offering safe, faith-forming experiences for campers has been and will always be our top priority. During the Covid-19 pandemic, this has meant monitoring the latest scientific understandings, the current policy recommendations from national health and camping organizations, and the trendlines of virus transmission, hospitalizations, and deaths. We have used this information to develop our approach to running camp safely for the variety of populations we serve and to deliver two pandemic summers of residential summer camp with no known incident of Covid-19 in campers or summer staff.

Given current conditions and understandings of the pandemic, we are confident in our ability to operate camp safely this summer with a mitigation plan that relies heavily on our standard and long-standing best practices for limiting the spread of communicable diseases at camp (section A below) supplemented by Covid-specific practices (section B).

A) STANDARD HEALTHY CAMP PRACTICES

 OUR FIRST EFFORTS FOCUS ON THE POLICIES AND OPERATIONAL REALITIES ON WHICH WE REGULARLY RELY TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AT CAMP.

• SCREENING: We ask that campers and family members who feel sick on check-in day or 24-hours prior not come, whether the symptoms are consistent with Covid-19 or with any other communicable illness. We will continue with a five day prescreen for all campers. Find the five day prescreen HERE. Please bring the prescreen form to check in. We will continue our practice of employing written screening for illness and temperature checks during check-in.
• OUTDOORS: The vast majority of our activities take place outdoors, with any large group activities occurring in well-ventilated areas.
• SMALL GROUPS: By nature of our small group camping model, campers have limited contact with campers and staff beyond those in their cabin and living groups.
• SANITIZING: We clean and sanitize facilities and touch points on a daily and weekly basis.
• HEALTHCARE: Our Healthcare Team is onsite 24 hours-a-day to address camper health needs, including assessing symptoms of communicable illnesses. Campers with any communicable illness will not be allowed to remain at camp. If a camper gets sick during their session, there is no refund due to illness and having to return home. It’s important that families are mindful of bringing healthy campers to camp.

B) COVID-SPECIFIC PRACTICES

The virus has been unpredictable during the pandemic and likely will continue to be. However, we do have increased understanding on how the virus spreads and will watch the infection and hospitalization levels in the areas from which campers come and make changes accordingly to keep camp safe.

• RECOMMENDATIONS: We strongly suggest that campers be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and up to date on any available booster prior to coming to camp. We want to know camper vaccination status so we can best care for campers and the community. You will complete this form for each of your campers in your Ultracamp account. Further, campers whose medical conditions put them at-risk for severe complications with Covid-19 infection should seek the advice of their medical professional before attending camp this summer. 
• MASKS: Mask wearing at camp this summer will be welcome but optional most of the time. Campers and staff should bring a supply of face coverings to camp in case they are needed.  If we have Covid-19 cases at camp or see an increase in spread in the state, we may alter this policy to keep campers and staff safe and camp operational. At this time, face coverings will be utilized on a very limited basis. However, if we have a confirmed case of Covid in a small group, that camper will be sent home to recover, parents will be notified and the other campers and staff in that group will be required to wear face coverings indoors where other groups are present.
• TESTING: We have decided to require pre-camp Covid-19 testing given the uptick in Covid cases in the state and to help us add another layer of protection for our campers and staff. If available in your area and covered by your insurance, we encourage you to have your camper obtain a PCR or lab rapid test no more than 3 days prior to their camp session and bring those results to camp. Otherwise, we will provide a rapid antigen test for all incoming campers, regardless of vaccination status. If a camper tests positive, we will work with you and your family to make arrangements for your camper to attend a session later in the season. If you are traveling a long distance to camp, we recommend you complete an at home test before making the trip.
• The CDC does not recommend getting tested again in the three months after a positive viral test if the person does not have symptoms of COVID-19. Campers who have had a positive viral test in the 3 months prior should indicate it on the prescreen form prior to starting camp and have met the criteria to end isolation should have a letter from their healthcare provider documenting the positive test date and stating the individual is cleared to end isolation. A copy of this letter should be presented at check in.
• Our Health Center will have on-site testing capacity, as we did last year, for the purpose of verifying Covid-19 assessments during camp. As stated above, campers with any communicable illness will not be able to remain at camp, and no refunds will be made after the start of your camp session. Should your camper fall ill just before the start of their session, please contact us and we will work with you to reschedule. Taking steps to stay healthy prior to camp is an important effort. Families of other campers in the living group and cabin group will be notified of a positive test in their camper’s living group or cabin group. As long as staff and campers in the affected group do not display symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, they will be able to isolate in their small group or cohort and should be able to complete their session, as long as they do not show symptoms. We will encourage all parents to monitor for symptoms following the completion of their campers session.
• About This Page: The COVID-19 pandemic is an evolving challenge, and so this page is a living document. It was last updated on the date listed above, and may be updated again based on the public health situation. Please know that future pre-arrival communications with registered 2022 families will be distributed via Constant Contact email. Please make sure your contact information is in your Ultracamp account.
• Important Notes: We are constantly updating our website to match the above policies. If any program descriptions or policies appear in conflict with what is listed above, please know that this page contains the most up-to-date information. Additionally, please also note that some of the pictures and videos found on this site were taken during or before Summer 2020 and therefore may or may not reflect the adapted practices and policies listed above.

We want you to know our biggest goal for Summer 2022 is to still keep camp, camp. While COVID-19 has entered into every part of our lives, we still want the focus of your summer to be fellowship, friends and fun!

Thank you all for your patience and flexibility in this, we understand how difficult these months continue to be. If there is something we missed or you have additional questions, please email us at info@donleecenter.org. Camp Don Lee is ready to see the youth of our ministry in action continue celebrating God's creation!