
COVID-19 Policies
OUR OBJECTIVES
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Create a safe, healthy camp environment.
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Ensure camp remains a faith-filled, deep, and meaningful experience.
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Create space for campers to have fun and make friends.
Red Willow Ministries' policies are based on recommendations from the American Camping Association (ACA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The COVID-19 policy administrator for Red Willow Ministries will be the TBD.
CAMPERS
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Seven days before their arrival, campers should begin to take their temperature daily and monitor their health for signs of COVID-19
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Upon arrival on-site for the first time, the following will be documented:
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Body temperatures.
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Signs of fever, sore throat, or respiratory issues in the last week.
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Vomiting or diarrhea in the last week.
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Any COVID-19 close contacts in the preceding 14 days.
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Camper's temperature will be documented every morning by the Healthcare Leader or Program Director.
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Campers will be placed in "pods" with their cabinmates. These pods will be limited to a maximum of 10 campers and 1 counselor.
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With a pod, campers do not need to wear face coverings and physical distancing is not strictly necessary. Good hygiene and cleaning practices will still be in effect.
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Outside of their pod, campers must follow the general protocols.
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Interactions with other cabins will be limited to physically distances activities or face coverings will be required.
GENERAL PROTOCOLS - FACE COVERINGS
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Face coverings are required in all indoor locations on camp, except when the only people in that locations are part of a single pod.
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In general, this means that groups will wear face coverings when around other pods in the following locations: The Retreat Center (including the Canteen and the Dining Hall), the Chapel, Common Restrooms, and the Craft Cabin.
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Face coverings will be required for all campers and parents/guardians during check-in in the Chapel.
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Face coverings are not required while showering or swimming.
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Face coverings are not required for outdoor activities, except when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
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Face covering policies remain the same irrespective of vaccination or other factors.
GENERAL PROTOCOLS - WORKSHIP AND MUSIC
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All sung music will take place outdoors with the following exceptions:
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Singing may occur in the Chapel, Dining Hall, cabins, or other indoor spaces within a single pod.
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Singing may occur indoors with multiple pods only with face coverings AND physical distancing.
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Worship will generally be held outdoors in designated locations with physical distancing between pods.
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All staff and campers may sing outdoors without face coverings as long as physical distancing is maintained between pods.
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Red Willow worship and music leaders will prioritize music that is meaningful, interactive, and fun without requiring contact between campers.
MEAL TIMES
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Each pod will be provided with hand sanitizers and paper products from the kitchen staff. Everybody is to sanitize their hands before eating.
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Face coverings are required while walking through the line to receive food.
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Generally, meals will be eaten outdoors unless inclement weather prevents this.
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When meals must be eaten inside, all pods must remain together, and tables will be physically distanced at least 6 feet apart.
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Meal servers will wear face coverings.
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No person will enter the kitchen unless they are an authorized staff member approved by the Food Service Manager.
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Designated staff will clean and disinfect all surfaces between meals.
RESTROOMS AND SHOWER FACILITIES
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All individuals utilizing these facilities are to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer.
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Pods should attempt to use the facilities one at a time. When this is not possible, face coverings and physical distancing is required (apart from when showering).
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Instructions for handwashing will be placed at each hand washing station.
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All campers, staff, and volunteers will have an orientation on washing hands upon arrival.
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All restrooms and shower facilities will be cleaned and disinfected at least twice daily by designated staff.
ACTIVITIES
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When pods come together for outside large group activities, they will be required to wear face coverings if physical distancing cannot be maintained.
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In general, activities outdoors will be physically distanced as a rule, so face coverings will not generally be required outdoors.
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There will be few planned indoor large group activities, but when these do occur, face coverings will be required whenever separate pods are together.
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Special camps, such as Holy Hoops and Discovery Camp, will require more specific policies.
DAY CAMPS
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For all dayall-day camps, Red Willow will yield its policies to stricter policies at the sites where we will be serving.
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All camp counselors on day camp should stay in the same location. If this is with a host individual or family, that individual or family should take their temperature and monitor for COVID-19 symptoms in the seven days leading up to the counselors' arrival.
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Face coverings are required for all campers for all indoor activities or when physical distancing cannot be maintained outdoors.
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Churches should designate outdoor areas for games and signing, which will be priority spaces for programming to occur.
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At day camp, each age group will be considered a "pod".
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This will look different at each camp depending on the size, but pods should not exceed 20 students.
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All indoor activities, such as games, crafts, and worship, will be run within the pod.
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Outdoor activities may be run between pods but if physical distancing cannot be maintained, then face coverings are required.
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All food - snacks and lunch - must either be eaten outdoors or with a minimum of 6 feet of physical distancing between pods.
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In the event of a COVID-19 positive at a day camp, Red Willow will notify the sponsoring church immediately. The sponsoring church must also notify Red Willow immediately if they are made aware of a COVID-19 positive results from a day camp attendee in the two weeks following camp.
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If possible, camp counselors are not to be sent on back-to-back day camps between different churches.
COVID-19 POSITIVE PROTOCOLS
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Staff is required to stay home if feeling unwell.
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All staff should stay home if they are showing signs of sickness: a fever, difficulty breathing, severe headaches, etc.
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All staff is required to stay home if they have tested positive for COVID-19 or are showing symptoms and awaiting test results.
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All staff who enter COVID-19 isolation or quarantine policies will be paid and no sick leave will be used.
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Staff with COVID-19 symptoms may return to work when symptoms have disappeared, and a COVID-19 test comes back negative.
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Staff who test positive for COVID-19 may return to work 48 hours after symptoms have disappeared and a COVID-19 tests comes back negative.
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All staff and campers who have had a close contact with a COVID-19 positive case are required to stay home.
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Exception: Staff and campers who are fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine due to a close contact.
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All campers who show a fever of 100.4 or higher while at camp or attending a Red Willow Day Camp will be isolated and sent home immediately.
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Campers who are sent home with a fever or other symptoms should continue to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and parents/guardians are required to notify Red Willow in the event of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
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QUARANTINE FOR CAMPERS: During quarantine due to suspected COVID-19 case, a COVID-19 close contact discovered while at camp, or a confirmed COVID-19 positive test results, campers will be isolated in the Health Center and contact will be confirmed to the healthcare leader and COVID-19 administrator until the camper can be returned to their parents/guardians.
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QUARANTINE FOR STAFF: During quarantine due to suspected COVID-19 case, a COVID-19 close contact, or a confirmed COVID-19 positive test results, staff will be isolated in the lower level of the camp house and contact will be confirmed to the healthcare leader and COVID-19 administrator.
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If arrangement can be made for staff to leave camp with supervision to quarantine off-site, that is preferable.
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LIABILITY WAIVER
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Parents/Guardians of all campers on camp and at day camp will be required to sign a waiver stating they understand Red Willow's COVID-19 policies and that they release liability from Red Willow for COVID-19 related incidents.