State Greenlights Summer Camps, Sets Guidelines that Fail to Keep Kids Safe
LOS ANGELES — Governor Newsom and the California Department of Public Health have released a 12-page guidance document today which enables summer day camps to reopen by June 12.
“Make no mistake these guidelines are nothing more than green lights for camps to put the pedal to the metal, except these are green lights facing both ways in a dangerous intersection to begin with,” said Meow Meow Foundation co-founder Doug Forbes.
“The document offers no mandates, no teeth, just tepid language. That’s because, after our daughter died at one of these facilities 11 months ago, we warned the governor and the CDPH that California day camps are not regulated and not licensed. Now here we are with unregulated camps opening in the middle of a pandemic, and the state’s hands are all but hogtied.”
Forbes’ 6-year-old daughter Roxie drowned at the Summerkids pool in Altadena last June. A counselor 30-40 feet outside of the pool said he saw her floating face-down while counselors in the pool area admitted to neglecting her. The Department of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner determined the cause of death was drowning. Numerous medical reports supported that determination.
“We are in no way merely trying to be alarmists,” said Elena Matyas, foundation co-founder and Roxie’s mother. “The state does not even require these camps to run background checks on counselors or staff, let alone require them to employ an on-site health professional or provide an emergency action plan for health crises like the one we now endure.”
Matyas also said that the American Red Cross recently allowed its lifeguards to extend their certifications by 120 days without the usual field retesting, due to COVID-19. “The Red Cross itself admitted that, without retraining, less than half of its lifeguards are able to pass a skills test within a year. That equates to inadequate lifeguards in charge of children at camps that offer water activities.”
The guidance document enumerates 10 primary measures but repeatedly uses language such as “should” and “consider” and “as practicable” instead of “must” or “require.”
Although face masks are effectively requisite across public and private sectors, according to the document, “All camp staff should use cloth face coverings” and “campers should be encouraged to use cloth face coverings,” therefore not requiring anyone to do so.
The document also said, “Limit the number of persons in the camp to the number appropriate for maintaining physical distancing.” However, CDPH did not offer any guidelines as to what is appropriate, instead leaving that determination entirely up to the camps, unless county health officials say otherwise. Counselors and staff members can also commute to their camps from communities far and wide.
CDPH said campers should “remain in groups as small and consistent as practicable” and “restrict communal activities where practicable,” again, without defining parameters.
Regarding the actual management of a COVID-19 outbreak at a camp, the guidance is even more opaque. Camp staff are asked to “conduct visual wellness checks” and take temperatures when campers arrive, neither of which is effective for detecting asymptomatic carriers. The document does not require staff or seasonal employees to be properly tested.
And because camps are not regulated or licensed, unlike day care centers, they are not obligated to report COVID-19 outbreaks, or for that matter, shut down. According to the document, ”the appropriate camp official may consider if closure is warranted.”
“By their very nature camps are preternatural Petri dishes to begin with,” said Forbes. “Add a pandemic to the mix and pepper that with the fact that camps are one of the most highly congregate business models, and you have the perfect storm.” The foundation estimates that anywhere from 3-5 million children attend upwards of 10,000 California camps each year.
Matyas said, “We introduced a 40-page camp health and safety bill a few months ago, called the Roxie Rules Act. It’s rife with the kinds of measures that would finally protect kids under even the most extreme of circumstances. We are deeply disappointed that the governor’s office did not consult us first, because those extreme circumstances have arrived with a very loud thump.”
Unregulated, unlicensed, uninspected California day camps offer “high-risk” activities, including shooting ranges with real .22 caliber rifles where children as young a 8-years-old participate, zip-lining over tree canopies, sheer rock wall climbing, tomahawk throwing and archery, horseback riding and extreme sporting activities, such as those offered at the popular Pali Adventures camp.
Forbes and Matyas have contacted the offices of Los Angeles County Supervisor Barger and Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer. They await responses.