COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols

FaySummer’s health and safety protocols have been developed in response to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Massachusetts Camping Association. They follow the plan we developed in August 2020 to reopen our campus for full in-person teaching and learning and reflect our knowledge and expertise after what is now many months of working successfully with students through the pandemic. Our plans are designed to prioritize the health and safety of our community members, while also taking into consideration the unique composition of our camper population and preserving the character of FaySummer’s program and camp experience.

Please note that FaySummer will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation locally, nationally, and globally, and that the protocols below may be adjusted.

Travel Guidelines

Parents of all campers must understand and comply with the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements mandated by the state of Massachusetts. Parents must consult the Massachusetts Travel Order as they make any travel plans prior to their children’s arrival at camp. Any required self-quarantine must be complete in time for the first day of camp.

Required Testing

Each camper will be required to provide results from a negative PCR test taken no earlier than the Thursday before their first day of camp and each two-week increment thereafter. All FaySummer staff will be tested every two weeks.

Any staff member or camper who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to follow state-mandated isolation and return-to-camp protocols.

If a camper or employee tests or is presumed positive for COVID-19, FaySummer, in coordination with the Southborough Department of Health, will conduct contact tracing.

Required Daily Screening

Parents of campers will be required to complete a daily COVID-19 screening assessment of their children each morning before camp. Please note that campers will not be allowed to attend camp if the daily screening is not complete, and this rule will be strictly enforced.

We use the Magnus Mobile app provided by Magnus Health, which will allow parents to complete the screening attestation from a smartphone in just a few clicks. Magnus Mobile is a web-based app that will provide continuous access to the child’s health record as well as the ability to make updates to the health history as needed.

Click here for an instruction sheet that explains how to access and set up the app on a smartphone. Parents can complete the Magnus Health COVID-19 Daily Screening for their children by tapping the button on the Magnus Mobile app titled “COVID-19.”

Parents must submit the screening each morning no later than 7:15 am. Please reserve one to two minutes per child to complete this process each morning.

The screening includes the following symptoms:

Temperature higher than 100°F
Loss of taste or smell
Cough not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Muscle aches
Chills
Sore throat
Chest pain
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
Congestion or runny nose not due to other known causes, such as allergies when in combination with other symptoms
Headache when in combination with other symptoms

For any technical issues with the mobile app such as login problems, or problems completing the screening please contact customer support at Magnus Health SMR by phone at 877.461.6831 or by email at service@magnushealthportal.com.

Required Face Masks

All campers are required to wear a face mask. Each camper should bring two masks to camp each day - one to wear, and one replacement. FaySummer will have disposable masks on hand should additional masks be required. Face masks may be of any color; plain or patterned. Images, pictures, or symbols must be appropriate. Face masks with words are not permitted. Please note that masks with valves and vents are not permitted, and neck gaiters, bandanas, and single-layer masks are not allowed.

Daily Routines

Physical distancing will be enforced so campers can maintain a distance of six feet. Campers will be organized into age-group cohorts, and indoor spaces will be configured to enable physical distancing while complying with fire code and building safety guidelines.
Preventive hygiene practices will be explained and reinforced by camp staff. These include frequent hand washing, regular use of hand sanitizer, and safely removing and replacing face masks.
Cleaning and sanitizing routines will include daily disinfection and sanitizing procedures, including wiping down commonly touched surfaces, door handles, and light switches.
Fay's ventilation systems have been upgraded with MERV-13 filters to reduce transmission of airborne particles.
Visitors to campus are restricted, and families and other visitors are not allowed in campus buildings at this time.

Camper Illness

FaySummer has designated specific spaces on campus where campers can be isolated from peers while they wait for their parents to pick them up if they exhibit symptoms that cause concern. If a camper tests positive for COVID-19, they will be required to isolate at home.

Isolation Policy

Positive cases must isolate for a minimum of 10 days from the date of onset of symptoms or positive test date (both of which are considered Day 0). They may return after a minimum of 10 days and when they are symptom- and fever-free for at least 24 hours. Current guidelines do not require these individuals to provide a negative PCR COVID-19 test before returning to camp, but they must meet with and be cleared by the FaySummer nurse on the morning of their first day back to camp. If the nurse does not clear the camper, they will be sent home.

Quarantine Policy

Any camper required to quarantine must remain out of camp for 14 days from the date of the last known contact (which is considered Day 0). In order to return to camp, the camper must have a negative PCR COVID-19 test no earlier than Day 13. The negative results must include the test date and be uploaded to Magnus for review by the FaySummer nurse, who will clear the camper to return as soon as test results are approved. A 100% refund will be given if a camper has to miss camp due to a quarantine mandated by FaySummer.

Close Contact Policy

Any camper considered a close contact to a positive case, inside or outside of camp, must quarantine for 14 days after the last known contact. If the camper has siblings also attending FaySummer, that sibling is also considered a close contact and must also quarantine. For close contacts, the last day of potential exposure is considered Day 0 and quarantine is 14 full days from that date.

If a camper who tests positive has a sibling at FaySummer, that camper is considered a close contact and must remain at home until the positive student is cleared to return to camp.

If the positive child has remained completely isolated in the home, the sibling may return after quarantining for 14 days. The sibling must follow the quarantine policy.
If the positive child has not been completely isolated at home, the sibling must quarantine for an additional 14 days after the positive child returns to school. In this case, the sibling would need to be out of camp for a minimum of 24 days from the positive test date or onset of symptoms.

Identifying Close Contacts

If a positive case of COVID-19 is identified in the camp community, all campers in that individual’s cohort will be considered close contacts; the counselor(s) may or may not be close contacts depending on whether they were able to maintain appropriate physical distance during the 24 hours prior to the positive test. All campers in the cohort of the positive individual will be required to quarantine for 14 days from “Day 0” (the date of the positive test). Campers will be allowed to return to FaySummer after the 14-day quarantine period is over AND they have presented a negative COVID-19 test that was completed no earlier than Day 13 of the quarantine.

Camper Absences

Any camper who is absent from camp due to illness of any kind for three or more days is required to provide the FaySummer nurse with a doctor's note in order to return. Upon reviewing the specifics of the absence, the nurse may also require a negative PCR COVID-19 test.

Any camper who is absent from camp due to illness of any kind or for any other reason for five or more days is required to provide a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within three days of returning to camp. Negative test results must include the date of the test and be uploaded to Magnus in order for the student to return.

Monitoring and Responding

FaySummer will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation locally, nationally, and globally in order to assess the implication of new restrictions and guidelines on camper and employee safety. Plans will be adjusted as needed and communicated to the FaySummer community directly and on this website.