When CoronaVirus affects Summer Camp

Running a performing arts summer camp program during a pandemic is no easy feat, and this week we got to put our CoronaVirus response protocols to the test.

This week, a student’s family member tested positive for CronaVirus. Based on the information we have from the family, the student was out of town with family friends when the parent began displaying symptoms. The parents quarantined themselves when symptoms began, and the student has not been in contact with the parents since then. The family has reported the student is not sick and does not show any symptoms. We have recommended that the student be tested, but unfortunately, without a negative test result, we have to act as if there was a case in our camp.

Out of an abundance of caution, our first protocol was to suspend all in-person camp activities.

We partnered with Tri-County Health, who recommended that we encourage the cast and crew of the camps to quarantine for 14 days from the last day the student was at camp, which was Thursday, July 2. In order to support this encouraged quarantine, PAA is suspending all in-person summer camp operations until July 16.

On the chance that CoronaVirus made its way to the PAA campus, our protocols were in place to inhibit the spread of the virus within our program.

Our students have been great about wearing masks and social distancing. Our staff was temp-checked every morning and continue to report no symptoms. The campers spend most of their day outside, and if they do enter the building, hand sanitizer is used before entering and exiting, and restrooms are sanitized after every use. You can read the extensive list of protocols on our CoronaVirus Response page.

After health and safety, our next priority is insuring the continuing education of our students through the successful completion of their camp musical theatre productions.

Camp rehearsals are moving online next week while campers quarantine at home, and we’ve adjusted our performance schedule to insure every student has the opportunity to perform and showcase what they’ve learned.

The new camp schedule is below.

When we prepared our health and safety protocols we had no idea we’d be putting them to use so soon, but wow are we happy we had them in place.

We’ve learned a lot through this process and these lessons will help make future programming at PAA even more resilient to CoronaVirus disruptions.

Our staff have been incredible and we can’t thank our students and families enough for working with us though these programming changes.