Health & Safety
Health & Safety

Health & Safety Are Our #1 Priority: Every Year, Under All Circumstances

Health & Safety Protocols in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the current public health climate, and to best ensure a safe camp, we made a number of adjustments to our policies and daily procedures. Recommendations from and consultation with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the American Camping Association (ACA), San Mateo County Health Department, our PJCC Medical Advisory Task Force and the Jewish Community Center Association of North America were all critical components of our decision-making process. We will continue to update these policies and our programming based on recommended practices when camp starts. While we hope the pandemic climate will improve, we are planning our camp policies according to how it is right now.

  • Physical Distancing:
    • Will be maintained as much as possible and practical within each consistent camper group.
    • Camper groups will not mix for lunch and snack time when masks are off.
  • There is a 1 staff to 8 camper ratio for all groups.
  • Substitutes will only be used if necessary and every effort will be made to use a consistent substitute when required.
  • Masks must be worn by staff at all times.
  • All children must arrive to camp wearing a mask and keep the mask on at all transition times (i.e. – from the car to the classroom, from the classroom to the turf field). Children of all ages and up are required to wear a mask at all times. Masks will be required to be removed when a child is eating, drinking or during naptime (preschool only). Masks must be laundered daily before being brought back to camp. We recommend your child keeps a spare in their bags at all times. Masks with air-valves are not permitted. We recognize that some children will need an adjustment period to get used to wearing their masks and our staff will support them through this.
  • Upon arrival, a daily health screening, including temperature check, will be administered to all camp staff.
  • Camp staff will wear a cloth mask throughout the day that goes home daily to be washed; disposable masks will be available if a teacher forgets a mask.
  • When a camp staff is absent for an unplanned reason, any health symptoms will be collected and documented. These will be kept confidential except when needed for community health protection, and even then will be kept as confidential as possible.
  • All camp staff will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide documentation of their vaccine prior to employment. 
  • Properly proportioned disinfectant solution will be used to disinfect; solution to be mixed each day. Only staff will have access to cleaning solutions.
  • Hard surfaces (tables, counters, door handles) will be sanitized throughout the day by camp staff.

To ensure that our community stays safe and healthy during camp, campers must get tested for COVID-19 with a Viral/PCR test the week prior to your first day of camp. Send negative test results to camps@pjcc.org. Campers that test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to attend camp and will be refunded their registration fees minus the $50 deposit per week.  

In addition, campers are required to get tested if they develop one or more COVID-19 symptoms or if one of their household members or non-household close contacts tests positive for COVID-19.  

Positive test result:
Parents and Guardians are required to notify the Camp administration immediately if they test positive, or a household member of close contact tests positive. If Camp Keff is notified of positive test of a camper or staff member (or a household member of a camper/staff): 

  • We will initiate an additional deep-cleaning protocol of any areas affected. 
  • We will notify the San Mateo County Department of Public Health and follow any directives given by them. 
  • We will notify the camp community of the positive test, while maintaining confidentiality as required by state and federal laws. 
  • If a group member tests positive, all campers from the stable group affected will be required to get tested twice and to self-quarantine for at home for 10 days.  
    • Registration fees will not be refunded or prorated when a child is self-quarantined for any reason. 
    • Documentation of 2 negative PCR tests must be provided to the Camp administration for any camper or staff who test positive prior to their return. 

Negative test result:
The camp community will only be notified of confirmed positive tests for a camper or staff or a member of their household. 

  • Symptomatic campers who test negative should remain home until at least 48 hours after resolution of fever (if any) without the use of medication and improvement in other symptoms. 
  • Asymptomatic individuals, who have a household contact with a positive test must self-quarantine at home until 14 days after the COVID-19 positive person completes their self-quarantine AND can document negative test results. 
  • Asymptomatic individuals who have a non-household close contact with a positive test should self-quarantine at home for a total of 10 days from the date of exposure even if they remain asymptomatic. 

If A Camper Becomes Ill Before Camp:

You must keep your child home if they display any of the following symptoms:

  1. Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  2. Fever in excess of 100.00 degrees F. Child must be fever free for 48 hours before returning to camp without the use of fever-reducing medication.
  3. Diarrhea
  4. Vomiting
  5. Sore throat / Strep throat
  6. Flu like symptoms: fever; chills, body aches & low energy
  7. Unexplained skin condition / rash
  8. Excessive sneezing or coughing
  9. First three days of a cold
  10. Ear infection not seen by a physician
  11. Lice. Child can only return to camp once treatment is fully completed and must be completely live lice and nit (egg) free.

If Your Camper Becomes Ill During Camp:

  • If a child develops a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), shortness of breath, a new cough or rash during the day, the child will be immediately removed from the group and moved to a designated isolation room.
  • The parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified; if either parent / guardian does not answer immediately, the emergency contact will be called.
  • A person authorized to pick up the child must always be within 1 hour’s drive of camp.
  • Any child who is sent home (or stays home) due to standard communicable diseases must have a doctor’s note clearing the child to return to the school (if in person) before they are allowed back to camp.
  • Any medication (prescription or over-the-counter) administered to a child requires a physician’s note to dispense and must come in the original packaging with dosage amount and be given to Administration staff with a Camp Medication Form. Medication should never be sent in the child’s belongings. If a child has any communicable disease; you must notify the office so an exposure notice can be sent to the camper group while respecting the privacy of the affected person.

COVID Symptom Protocol

  • Children who have a fever, vomiting diarrhea, cough or shortness of breath must be tested for COVID and cannot return to camp without a negative test, in addition to symptoms having resolved for 48 hours without the use of medication.
  • Children with a runny nose or nasal congestion need to consult with a medical provider to determine if COVID testing is needed. Children can return to camp when symptoms are resolved for 48 hours without the use of medication and pending notes and recommendations from the child’s medical provider.
  • For additional details, please review the Camp Keff Wellness Policy.

Please Note:

Please help us in our efforts to keep our camp community healthy! If your child attends camp with any of the above symptoms, including returning to camp less than 48 hours after having a fever and evidence of live lice and/or nits (eggs) after having lice, we will call to have your child picked up from camp within 60 minutes of the notification. It is helpful to us to better understand and care for your child if you keep us informed of factors of significance at home such as the birth of a sibling, prolonged illness in the family, a parent being away, death closely affecting the child, moving, etc. We would also love to know especially nice things, too!