Dear Belmont Recreation Camp Community,
On June 1, the Department of Early Education and Care released guidelines that outline the minimum health and safety requirements that child care programs, recreational camps, and municipal or recreational youth programs not traditionally licensed as camps must meet in order operate during the phased plan of Reopening Massachusetts. Belmont Recreation has been and will continue to work hard to develop procedures to meet these expectations with the hopes of running camps in Phase 2. We are hopeful that camps and programs will begin the week of July 6th.
While this summer will be run differently than a traditional camp and program season, our goal is to provide a fun, skill-building experience for each registrant that improves their confidence and instills a passion for an active lifestyle. More than ever, the safety and well-being of our campers, patrons, and staff will be our top priority. The Belmont Recreation team will strive to make the best decisions based on the unique conditions and guidelines provided by State and Local regulating authorities and we will share those plans with all of you as they are developed.
SUMMER PROGRAM COVID-19 CONTINGENCY PLAN
This will be updated as the guidelines are revised and reviewed.
INTRODUCTION
We have had to make several changes this summer. We will need everyone's cooperation and flexibility to make this summer a success. While we have been preparing an alternative menu of programs, they will look vastly different this summer.
We are following Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) guidelines that were released on June 1, 2020 as well as Guidance from The Belmont Department of Health. You can find a copy of these guidelines under the COVID-19 section at www.BelmontRec.com
DEFINITIONS
Parent – Father or mother, guardian, or person or agency legally authorized to act on behalf of the children in place of, or in conjunction with, the father, mother, or guardian.
Clean – Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
Coronavirus – Any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19.
COVID-19 – A mild to severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 of the genus betacoronavirus), is transmitted chiefly by contact with infectious material (such as respiratory droplets) or with objects or surfaces contaminated by the causative virus, and is characterized especially by fever, cough, and shortness of breath and may progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Disinfect – Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection. Disinfecting may be appropriate for diaper tables, door and cabinet handles, toilets, and other bathroom surfaces.
GENERAL
Face coverings and masks: Participants and staff must wear face coverings or masks, with exceptions of written medical conditions or other considerations. Parents will be responsible for providing young participants with face coverings or masks.
Important Phone Numbers
Belmont Recreation Department: 617-993-2760
Belmont Health Department: 617-993-2720
Email: Recreation@belmont-ma.gov
COVID-19 ILLNESS POLICIES
Guidelines for Keeping Yourself and/or your Child Home
The Belmont Recreation Department would like parents to review the guidelines for keeping yourself and/or your child home from programs due to illness or injury.
Stay home if sick
program participants and staff must stay home if they are feeling sick or have any symptom associated with COVID-19. Please call the Recreation office as soon as possible if you will not be attending a program for any reason.
A participant should not come to camp if they have:
- Fever of 100.4 or above in the last 24 hours. Participants must be fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of Tylenol, Motrin, or other fever reducing medication prior to returning camp.
- Vomiting more than once in the last 24 hours
- Diarrhea more than once in the last 24 hours
- Chills with other symptoms of illness
- Sore throat that has been present for more than 24 hours
- Strep throat – participants may return after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment, if they are well enough to participate in camp.
- Any eye inflammation accompanied by discharge may possibly be conjunctivitis. Campers with conjunctivitis may return after 24 hours of antibiotic treatment, if they are well enough to participate in camp
- Bad cold, with a runny nose or a productive cough that has kept the child awake at night and/or will interfere with the child’s performance at camp
- Head lice – please consult with your child’s doctor
- A communicable disease, such as Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), chicken pox, scabies, impetigo, pertussis, ringworm, and other diseases. Each of these diseases has state requirements for returning to camp which will be discussed with you by your child's doctor.
- In the past 14 days, if the participant has had close contact with a person known to be infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
Notifying Required Parties: In the event that a program experiences an exposure, Belmont Recreation will notify the following parties.
- Employees and families about exposure but maintain confidentiality.
- Local board of health if a child or staff is COVID-19 positive.
- Funding and licensing agencies if a child, adult, or staff member has tested positive.
Self-Isolating Following Exposure or Potential Exposure: In the event that a staff member, adult, or child is exposed to a sick or symptomatic person, the following protocols will be followed.
- If a child or staff has been exposed to COVID-19, regardless of whether the individual has symptoms or not, the child or staff must not be permitted to enter the program space and must be sent home. Exposed individuals will be directed to stay home for at least 14 days after the last day of contact with the person who is sick. The program will consult the local board of health for guidance on quarantine for other children and staff and what additional precautions will be needed to ensure the program space is safe for continued child care services.
- If an exposed child or staff subsequently tests positive or their doctor says they have confirmed or probable COVID-19, they must be directed to stay home for a minimum of 10 days from the 1st day of symptoms appearing AND be fever-free for 72 hours without fever reducing medications AND experience significant improvements in symptoms. Release from isolation is under the jurisdiction of the local board of health where the individual resides.
- If a child’s or staff’s household member tests positive for COVID-19, the child or staff must self-quarantine for 14 days after the last time they could have been exposed.
FOOD
- No food will be allowed at programs
CLEANING AND DISINFECTION
Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting protocols
A regular cleaning schedule for staff to ensure that all areas, materials, furniture, and equipment used for programs are properly cleaned, sanitized, or disinfected. Routine cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting practices, paying extra attention to frequently touched objects and surfaces, including doorknobs, bathrooms and sinks, railings. Clean and disinfect toys more frequently than usual and take extra care to ensure that all objects that children put in their mouths are cleaned and disinfected before another child is allowed to use it.
To ensure effective cleaning and disinfecting, always clean surfaces with soap and water first, then disinfect using a diluted bleach solution, alcohol solution with at least 70% alcohol, or an EPA-approved disinfectant for use against the virus that causes COVID19. Cleaning first will allow the disinfecting product to work as intended to destroy germs on the surface.
Staff will use all cleaning products according to the directions on the label. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for concentration, application method, and contact time for all cleaning and disinfection products.
While cleaning and disinfecting, staff will wear gloves.Toys that children have placed in their mouths or that are otherwise contaminated by body secretions or excretions should be set aside until they are cleaned by hand by a person wearing gloves. Clean with water and detergent, rinse, sanitize with an EPA-registered sanitizer, and air-dry.
We will remove any items that cannot be easily washed (i.e. stuffed animals, pillows) or that encourage children to put the toy in their mouths (i.e. play food, pretend utensils).
Shared items that cannot be cleaned or disinfected at all (i.e. playdough) should be removed from activity.
Children’s books, like other paper-based materials such as mail or envelopes, are not considered a high risk for transmission and do not need additional cleaning or disinfection procedures.
Clothing should not be re-worn until after being laundered at the warmest temperature possible.
TO SEE THE FULL SKIP CAMP COVID-19 PLAN CLICK HERE