Will summer camp go on as planned amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
Families wondering about summer options for kids
Schools are closed in Virginia and DC for the rest of this school year and they're shut down in Maryland until at least May 15th - but parents are waiting to hear what options will be available for their kids this summer - including pools and summer camps.
WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Schools are closed in Virginia and D.C. for the rest of this school year and they're shut down in Maryland until at least May 15. At least this gives parents some way to plan, but what about summer camp? Will that still happen?
It's on the minds of many as popular camps in our region are in a holding pattern.
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This issue really got raised last week when New York City mayor Bill De Blasio announced public pools across the city would be closed all summer.
That got many wondering what will happen around in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
In Prince William County, public pools normally open Memorial Day weekend but we know they'll be closed at least until June 15. Recreation, fitness centers and playgrounds are also closed until further notice.
The YMCA is still planning to have camp this summer unless government mandates and the guidance of health officials require otherwise.
Across our area:
- DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is making announcement May 15th
- Montgomery County is preparing to open outdoor pools Memorial Day pending state guidance
- The American Camp Association says most camps are awaiting CDC, state and local guidelines
- Fairfax County is doing the same as Prince William County saying it’s too early to tell.
On its website, Prince William County says summer camp registration is closed until further notice but we’re told the plan is to have camp pending state and CDC guidelines and eased social distancing restrictions.
Popular kids camps including Calleva and River Rally Ranch in Maryland are also closed, the latter at least through April 24, saying they hope to proceed with camp as scheduled.
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Congressional Camp in Falls Church says as of today, there have been no changes to their summer offerings and they’re currently eagerly awaiting another successful summer — also adding they’re closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak.
The future is undoubtably uncertain for summer camps across the country including here — some summer camps already notifying families about plans to go virtual.
A Prince William County spokesperson says, “Unfortunately it’s to early to know at this point whether county pools will be open this summer. Once a decision is made we will communicate the plan to the public.”
Many camps are working on a virus protection plan including screening campers health, including temperatures.
It remains to be seen once we get to camp time in a few months what kind of distance we'll all still need to be keeping from one another.
And of course another big question — if you’ve already paid for summer camp and it doesn’t take place, will you get a refund?
FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis reports many sleepaway camps in the northeast that families from the D.C. region send their kids to for weeks at a time have already modified refund policies to allow full refunds as close as 14 days out from the start of a camp session.
More guidance could be coming soon but summer is around the corner and many are making plans now.