by Adam Delezenne
Today we are announcing an update to our COVID-19 policy. We will no longer require campers and staff to be vaccinated to participate in Camp Westminster programs.
This policy was developed by a team of volunteers after extensive research and consideration. We acknowledge that COVID-19 remains a genuine concern for us at camp; it is different than it was in 2020, 2021, or 2022. The evolving picture of COVID in society and the end of federal support for vaccinations, which will likely make vaccines harder to find and more expensive than they are today, suggested that it might be time to end our requirement.
Additionally, our policy for responding to COVID at camp worked well last year! Last year we had two incidents of COVID at camp. Both were staff returning to camp after some travel, our policy led us to catch them early, and neither led to any other cases.
We still believe in the vaccine’s efficacy and encourage everyone to get vaccinated who is able.
We are also asking, but not requiring, that all campers take a COVID test before coming to camp. Several times last year, contentious parents tested their children even though they had no symptoms and found them to be COVID-positive. We changed their reservation at the last minute and welcomed them to camp after they had left their isolation period.
Please reach out to us with any questions or concerns. You can read the full policy here.
No camper, staff, or guest will be discouraged from taking personal protective measures (like masking or frequent hand washing) at camp.
