Posted on 06/05/20
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday that Day Camps throughout New York State will be allowed to operate this summer beginning June 29th. This, after a coordinated advocacy campaign by camp operators and other activists to map out a safe reentry point for our children. The Governor’s announcement was indeed welcome as camps will provide much needed structure to children who have been home from school for nearly 3 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Agudath Israel is grateful to the Governor for making camp a reality for thousands of children throughout the state.
Although the state has yet to issue guidelines detailing how Day Camps will be allowed to open, based on conversations between Agudath Israel and leading members of the NYS Executive Branch, the guidelines will likely include restricting group sizes, requiring masks when not social distancing, and preventing disparate geographical areas from associating. More details to follow as they become available.
While New York State has not yet announced whether overnight camps will be open, Agudath Israel in conjunction with the Association of Jewish Camp Operators (AJCO) has been working diligently to formulate a plan for overnight camps to open, but open with protocols in place that will ensure safety.