Health Policy

Last updated 1/6/2025

Our policies on communicable diseases are informed by CDC and ACA (American Camp Association) guidance, and are intended to manage the risk of disease transmission and help everyone feel safe at camp.

Before you travel
We want you to have a great start to camp! So:

  • Be mindful of your exposure in the week leading up to camp. Start your journey rested, well-nourished, and hydrated, so you're as resilient as possible.
  • If you are sick, don't travel. It's much better for you and everyone else if you get well at home. We'll catch you up with what you missed.
  • We highly recommend that you travel with a mask on to minimize your exposure.

When you arrive at camp
On Sunday, June 29th, we'll have 120 campers arriving from all corners of the country and from around the world! This is when we'll all have been exposed during our travels, and may be depleted by our journeys. So:

  • We will provide masks and strongly recommend that all camp participants use masks around other people for the first three days of camp (until the end Wednesday, July 2). This gets us through the incubation periods of many common illnesses. You'll see masking as a community norm for these first few days.
  • During all required indoor all-camp meetings on orientation day, we will require all participants to be masked. (RA breakfast on orientation day will take place outdoors.)

Precautions during camp
We want everyone to be well and feel safe for the whole of camp. So:

  • We'll continue to provide masks throughout camp: you can pick one up from the mask supply bins in common spaces, the Mathcamp office, and of course the nurse's office. We invite you to use a mask to keep yourself safe. If you're feeling under the weather, wearing a mask will also protect those around you.
  • We'll remind everyone about good hand-washing protocols, especially in the dining hall.
  • We'll have Covid tests and OTC medications available for anyone who needs or wants these.
  • Our camp nurse will be available throughout camp for any questions or concerns -- they'll have daily office hours and be available by phone. Just ask any staff member if you need to get in touch with the nurse outside of office hours.

If you fall sick at camp
With 150 campers and staff at camp, we typically see some minor illnesses and injuries over the course of our 5 weeks together. If you're ill, we want to take care of you, and we want to protect those around you. So:

  • If you're experiencing minor respiratory symptoms (e.g. minor cough, sniffling), we'll ask you to use a mask to protect those around you.
  • In case of more significant or worsening symptoms (e.g. fever, vomiting, sore throat, eye irritation and discharge), a positive Covid test, or other confirmed illness:
    • You'll go see the camp nurse to determine appropriate next steps. Depending on symptoms, the nurse might ask you to take a Covid test, ask you to isolate from others during the acute phase of your illness, or recommend a visit to urgent care.
    • We'll keep your parents informed, and, if appropriate, inform your very close contacts so they can look out for symptoms.

If you need to isolate:

  • If you're in a single room, it's likely that you can just stay in your room! If you have a roommate, we'll move you to a separate room. During isolation you won't be able to attend any classes or camp activities, and you'll eat meals in your room.
  • You can expect isolation to end when you've been fever-free (without the use of fever-reducing medications) for 24 hours and other significant symptoms have resolved.
  • In the period following isolation, you can rejoin camp activities while following appropriate precautions as recommended by the camp nurse. These precautions could include masking.
  • In particular, if you are rejoining camp activities after having had Covid, you will continue to use a mask around people for an additional 5 days and continue to use your separate room (if you were moved into one) during that additional 5-day window.

All camp participants will be required to abide by all parts of this policy. While we hope not to need any additional precautions, participants will also be required to abide by any adjustments camp directors make in response to changing conditions or requirements from the host campus or other authorities. Such adjustments could include mandatory all-camp masking indoors, meals outdoors, or testing for contagious illnesses.