COVID-19 Policy and Protocol for Fall Camp 2023

Because we care for the people in our community who are vulnerable to severe impact from COVID infection, we have a cautious protocol for preventing COVID infections at camp. Please read carefully, and feel free to contact us at info@cfnc.us if you have any questions.

If our final protocol does not work for you, if you decide to withdraw from attending a CFNC event for COVID-related issues, OR if we cancel the event due to a surge in COVID cases, we will issue you a full refund.

Please note: 

  • This protocol is subject to change if COVID transmission numbers change significantly.
  • If you are not able to comply with this protocol, contact us to see if it is possible to work out an alternative protocol that fits your situation.
  • If you will need to leave the site and return during camp, please contact us to work out a special protocol for your situation.

QUICK SUMMARY

We require a combination of reducing potential exposure before camp and testing before and during camp. At this time we do not require attendees to be vaccinated. Instead, the protocol for reducing potential exposure is different depending on your COVID vaccination and/or infection history. You can read about our guiding assumptions if you scroll down to the bottom of this page.

You can determine which category you are in based on these definitions:

  1. “Unvaccinated” people have had no vaccinations and no COVID infections.
  1. “Intermediate” people are vaccinated but whose most recent shot is more than 6 months prior to camp (April 10, 2023) OR have not been vaccinated but have had at least one COVID infection, with the most recent infection being longer than 3 months ago.
  1. “Current” people have had a vaccination no more than 6 months before camp and at least 2 weeks before camp OR have had a COVID infection within the last 3 months.

REDUCING POTENTIAL EXPOSURE

  • Unvaccinated people need to reduce potential exposure starting Friday, Sept. 29 and to arrive onsite by Monday, Oct. 2 to quarantine at camp. 
  • Intermediate people need to reduce potential exposure starting a week before arrival at camp using the protocol below.
  • Current people also need to reduce potential exposure starting a week before arrival at camp using the protocol below, except that they can be unmasked in some additional situations.

Please read the entire protocol for full details of what to do.

FULL PROTOCOL

DOCUMENTATION:

Please send us documentation of your vaccinations and/or COVID infections.

  • You can upload files and photos to https://form.123formbuilder.com/5958101/form. Contact Menawar at khalil.menawar@gmail.com or ‪(443) 415-6853‬ if you have trouble uploading.
  • Your vaccination card is sufficient documentation of vaccinations.
  • If you have received a booster since April 10, 2023, you don’t need to send information on infections.
  • If you want to be considered “current,” you must have received your booster at least 2 weeks before you arrive at camp.
  • If you wish to be considered “current” or “intermediate” due to COVID infection but you do not have clear documentation, please contact us to discuss your situation.

 

REDUCING POTENTIAL EXPOSURE:

All attendees must reduce potential exposure for a week before camp. The requests are different for current, intermediate, and unvaccinated people.

For everyone:
  • Do not attend crowded indoor parties and gatherings, especially ones that include heavy breathing (raves, etc.).
  • Wear a well-fitting high-quality mask (N95 / KN95 or better) when indoors with anyone not in your household. This includes places like stores, workplaces, and public transportation.
  • In particular, wear a well-fitting high-quality mask on planes, trains, and buses; in airports; and in your carpool on the way to camp if it includes people not in your household.
Specific requests: 

Current people: Reduce potential exposure for a week before arriving onsite by following the guidelines above, except

  • You may unmask indoors when one person (at a time) who is not in your household is present.

Intermediate people: Reduce potential exposure for a week before arriving onsite by following the guidelines above.

Unvaccinated people:

  • Reduce potential exposure for 3 days (starting Friday, Sept. 29) before arriving onsite by following the guidelines above.
  • Arrive onsite at least 4 days before camp (by Monday, Oct. 2). 
  • Mask in enclosed spaces among others until camp starts.
  • Test daily while isolating onsite before camp.

More details for unvaccinated people:

  • Please contact Sarah at sarah@cfnc.us to make plans for your early arrival.
  • You will need to test negative before arriving at the site – see “Testing” below.
  • You will need to reside separately from campers who are not part of your household.
  • You may use a campsite, tent, or sleep in your car for free or may reserve a cabin at an additional cost.
  • You will be responsible for your own food until/unless you join pre-camp.
  • You will wear a mask in shared enclosed spaces until your isolation period is completed on Friday Oct. 6.
  • You may join the pre-camp team if you like and help set up camp. Pre-camp meals start with Wednesday dinner, and from then until camp starts, accommodation and meals will be provided to quarantining pre-campers for a requested donation of $20.

TESTING

All attendees must test negative on a sequence of rapid antigen tests before, at, and after arrival:

  • Take one test each day for the three days before you arrive at camp (e.g. Tue/Wed/Th for Friday arrival)
  • Take one test on arrival, and two more daily tests thereafter (e.g. Fri/Sat/Sun for Friday arrival)
  • People must mask in enclosed spaces with others until their arrival test comes back negative.

We can ship antigen tests to you for $1 each plus $5 shipping, up to 12 tests. (You can order more tests from us, with a little higher shipping cost.) Ordering deadline: SEPT. 25. Please contact Michael at michael@rios.org or 703-755-0607. 

Tests at camp are included in your registration fee.

IF YOU TEST POSITIVE BEFORE CAMP:

People testing positive in the week or two before camp will need to test negative for at least two days before arriving at camp. Please contact us ASAP at info@cfnc.us if you have a positive test to discuss your personal situation.

If you cannot attend camp due to COVID infection, we will refund your registration fee.

DURING CAMP:

After the negative pre-camp tests and the negative on-arrival tests are recorded, there will be no masking or distancing requirements for anyone attending the event – people are welcome to mask or distance if they choose.

Everyone will take two additional antigen tests during camp, on the two days after they arrive.

At the event, please report any symptoms ASAP to the Health Coordinator / COVID team.

If you need to leave the site and return again during camp, you will need a special protocol. Please contact us ASAP (info@cfnc.us before camp, Health Coordinator / COVID team during camp) to see what is possible for your situation.

If a person tests positive at camp, that person will be asked to isolate and everyone at camp will be asked to test. The COVID team will determine and announce other measures for the community, which might include testing, masking, rearranging housing assignments, modifying activities, etc.

AFTER CAMP

After the event, for the two weeks following your departure, please report any symptoms or positive COVID test results to the organizers so we can inform the group and prevent spread in our home communities.

More background on the Fall Camp COVID-19 policy:

The CFNC organizers recognize that there are various different understandings of COVID, vaccines, and other prevention protocols and policies, and that sometimes it can feel like people are in completely different realities from each other.  Our decisions around event health and safety protocols are based on our personal boundaries and how we see our responsibilities as people and as leaders.  We offer caring and respect to those whose perspectives are different.

We value providing safer spaces for people who have a high risk person in their network, or are at a high risk themselves of death or serious long-term side effects from COVID-19. We note that high risk is associated with some chronic illnesses, and some of these conditions are themselves correlated with economic and social marginalization. Our cautious protocols are intended to allow high-risk people to connect intimately while still keeping themselves and those around them safe.

GUIDING ASSUMPTIONS and the policy choices based on them: 

(additional research citations available on request)

  • At this time there is a fluctuating level of COVID, trending lower with frequent spikes.
    • Thus we can have a less strict protocol than in the past. 
  •  The efficacy of vaccination to prevent infection fades over time, but it retains much of its protection against hospitalization or death for a much longer period.
    • Thus we should distinguish “current” people who have the latest booster from “intermediate” people who have vaccinations but not the bivalent booster ( = no vaccination since last September), from “unvaccinated” people who have no vaccinations at all.
  • COVID infection, especially recent infection, confers some protection from new infection but it also fades over time.
    • Thus we will include people who have had COVID within 3 months in the “current” category, and people who have had COVID longer ago than 3 months in the “intermediate” category, even if they have not had any vaccinations.
  • People in all three categories can catch and spread COVID (but see the next point).
    • Thus we need pre-camp exposure avoidance and testing for everyone.
  • Current people are likely to have a lower viral load and thus be significantly less contagious than unvaccinated people; intermediate people are likely to be somewhat less contagious than unvaccinated people. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-01816-0, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02138-x#MOESM1) 

Feel free to contact us at info@cfnc.us if you have any questions.