We may ask all campers to quarantine for 7-10 days prior to their Camp start date. In this event, we would stress that any contact should be restricted to members of the household only. Physical contact with anyone outside of the household should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. We will ask that all household members take appropriate social distancing measures (wearing a mask, staying six feet apart from other people outside, and washing hands with soap and water frequently) during the 7-10 days prior to camp as well. During the potential 7-10 day quarantine, all Camp families may be asked to log daily temperatures of their camper and self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms on a form Augusta will provide. If your camper is attending Session 1 or session 2, please see question below:“What if my camper’s last day of school is less than 7-10 days before camp starts?” question listed below.

We are aware that Session 1 (potentially Session 2) begins less than 7-10 days after the last day of school for some of our campers. As such, we are working on additional protocols in consideration of the potential conflict with our pre-camp quarantine requirement. Session 1 may be kept in cabin pods for the entirety of the session, without expanding into village pods at all. Session 2 may operate in the same way as Session 1 would for the first week. After the first week of Session 2 we may look at opening camp up more as the session progresses.

Campers will be required to complete a PCR COVID- 19 TEST BEFORE COMING TO CAMP**. This test will be required to be administered on the Thursday or Friday before your camper’s Sunday session start date. Camp is currently planning to have ANTIGEN* testing on site, testing on both the first and second day of camp (Sunday and Monday), and perhaps a few more times depending on the session and the amount of time that was reasonably possible for each group of campers to actually quarantine at home (dependent upon school release dates).

 

We will also have tests on hand in the case any campers or staff show symptoms of COVID-19 during their session.

 

*Unless mandated by the state of California, Camp Augusta will NOT be conducting the PCR type of COVID-19 tests on-site this summer.

** Here are some PCR testing options: Alameda County, Placer County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Nevada County, San Francisco City

In order to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 being brought into Camp, all campers will be required to pass COVID-19 screening requirements. We may change these procedures as we continue to review the most recent data and guidance from public health officials and receive updates from our medical advisory team. See the questions below for more information about pre-camp quarantine and pre-camp testing requirements. All campers will be asked to complete a Symptoms Tracking form, which will be provided in advance of Camp. Upon arrival at Camp, a staff member will welcome your child and perform a health-arrival screening. 

This will include:

• Asking screening questions included in the Symptoms Tracking form. 
• Taking the camper’s temperature to ensure it is below 100.4 degrees.
• Ensuring the Symptoms Tracking Form is complete. 

Campers who have a temperature over 100.4 degrees, show COVID-19 symptoms, have knowingly been exposed to COVID-19 in the previous 10 days or test positive for the virus will not be permitted to enter Camp and will be asked to return home.

During arrival day and the first full day of the session (Sunday and Monday), campers will be in a pod consisting of only their cabin mates and counselor. Once all campers have been antigen tested on arrival day and re-tested the next day*, and both tests have come back negative for COVID -19, we hope to allow camp to run as normal. Each cabin will have 5 campers and 1 counselor. When campers and staff need to interact with people outside of their pod before all testing is confirmed, they will be required to meet two out of these three criteria: Masked/Outdoors/At least six feet apart. 

 

*Testing protocols are subject to availability of testing kits and recommendations of relevant agencies. Additionally, Camp Augusta may decide to expand antigen testing with testing occurring for more than the first two days of each session.

We may expand our individual cabin pods into a “village pod” (each village mixing together) after Monday’s antigen tests come back negative for each camper in the village. We may not expand beyond a “Village pod” for the entirety of a one week session. 

In a two week session, we may further expand our pods from our “village pods” at the end of the first week of the session to allow the entire camp to become a single pod. This would mean mixing the entire camp on the first Friday of a two week session and running camp as ‘normal’ for the remainder of the session. If you would like to switch your camper from a one week to a two week session so they may have more of the full camp experience, please contact us about our remaining availability.

To contain possible exposure and spread of COVID-19, as of now we are requiring face masks that cover both the nose and mouth when campers and staff arrive on site. Masks will be required within their cabin pod until the first test results on the first day are all confirmed negative.

Masks will still be required at all times when in the vicinity of anyone outside of their cabin pod until the second test results are all confirmed negative. Masks may not be required after testing is complete and we are given the all clear.

Out of an abundance of caution to cover any unforeseen circumstances, campers should bring 4 or 5 washable masks with them to Camp and a mesh bag labeled with their name to wash them in. All cloth masks will require a minimum of two or more layers. We will wash masks as often as needed.

Any staff or camper leaving site for any reason will be required to wear masks for the duration of their trip off site and follow all social distancing/sanitization guidelines.

Vaccines for staff will be required should they be available. Camp Augusta will follow the recommendations/requirements regarding vaccinations of minors as they evolve.

A $500 non-refundable deposit per camper is taken at time of registration. Camp Augusta reserves the right to retain the $500 non-refundable deposit.

All payments, minus the $500 deposit, are refundable up until May 1st if we are canceled due to COVID-19.

FULL refunds, including the $500 deposit, are available as long as we are able to fill the space (i.e., Someone from the waiting list accepts and pays for your forfeited spot).

• There is no guarantee a forfeited spot will be filled. The closer it gets to summer sessions beginning, the less likely we are to fill the spot.
• To the degree that we are able, Camp will offer prorated refunds if the cancellation or interruption occurrence is an insured, covered event.

There are NO REFUNDS for uncontrollable acts of nature or large-scale events outside of Camp Augusta’s control and not an insured event, including but not limited to:

• Weather conditions
• Fire and/or air quality
• Earthquake 
• Contagion/outbreak (Including but not limited to  COVID-19)
• Utility failures
• Inaccessibility
• Civil unrest
• Governmental order

Additional refund information:

• Campers who leave due to illness or injury are refunded 50% of their remaining days. 
• No refund is made for early withdrawal, late arrival, or dismissal due to poor camper behavior.
• Camp may dismiss any camper whose behavior, with or without reasonable accommodation, is deemed by camp, in its sole discretion, to be inimical to the operation of camp. In this instance no refund of tuition will be provided, and camp shall not be responsible for any additional costs of food, travel, or lodging that may result.

Over half of our total expenses for the year are spent prior to any on-site programming, and are covered entirely by tuition, which includes the $500 non-refundable deposit.

The elves begin in November, gathering interest and preparing for the registration season. Our hiring team begins accepting and reviewing applications in September in the hope to have all our staff hired by January so as to guide new staff through the pre-camp work before their arrival. Numerous facility improvements are done in the empty Fall and Winter.

In January, we have a large crew preparing for the summer — investing in it. Although Augusta is magic, and we’d love to magically have staff, campers, site, and everything else materialize by the end of April, it is love and hard work, not magic, that makes the summer happen and the run up to summer 2021 is no different.

Again, this a current look into what Augusta is planning for 2021 regarding health and safety processes. A lot can happen in the coming months and, as the situation develops, Augusta’s plan will be developing with it.

All medical staff will be trained to identify COVID-19 symptoms and respond. Any camper or staff who presents COVID-19 symptoms will be taken to our quarantine space, remain isolated and be sent home from camp as soon as possible. Parents will be expected to pick up their camper from camp as soon as possible. We will conduct a COVID-19 test and the family of the camper will immediately be contacted by our administrative staff, on-site nurse, or on-call doctor, who will share the plan for testing and treatment.

Parents/Caregivers are responsible for the PCR test on the Thursday or Friday BEFORE ARRIVAL TO CAMP. A NEGATIVE TEST RESULT TO THE PCR TEST will be required for entrance into camp on the first day. Camp will perform an antigen test on Sunday and Monday (and potentially more) for all campers and we are currently ANTICIPATING the cost per camper to be less than $100 (unlikely more but still undetermined) depending on which form of testing is available and acquired by Camp Augusta.

As a COVID-19 precaution, we will ask that one parent drive or carpool with another family from their child’s cabin to bring campers to Camp on arrival day. As such, we will strongly discourage siblings who are NOT attending camp that session, parents, or extended family members from traveling to camp to drop off their camper(s). Campers in the same quarantine pod/cabin can travel to camp together. Upon arrival to camp, all check-in procedures will be completed at the car of each camper and no one other than the camper(s) will be allowed to leave the parking/drop off area. We currently anticipate providing buses for campers on the way home (from Camp to the Bay Area) if it is deemed acceptable to transport all campers home by the bus company.

At this time, we do not know what travel restrictions or requirements will be in place this summer for campers that need to fly into the area. In order to meet our quarantine guidelines campers from out of the area may need to fly into California 7-10 days prior to the beginning of the session in order to ensure an isolation period after their flight. These campers must present a negative COVID-19 test result prior to arrival at camp. It is critical that campers take this test after their flight into California. Any tests administered BEFORE flying will not meet this requirement. This is a very weighty requirement, and our hope is that requirements will be less onerous by summer.

At this time we are commiting to keeping the Camp quarantine “bubble” intact, visitors will not be permitted. The only people who will be allowed into Camp outside of staff and campers are vendors who provide essential items to Camp. These include UPS, FedEx, USPS, food deliveries, septic, maintenance, propane, and our arborists. All these vendors will be masked and away from children and staff during their time here.

Camp Augusta will be a closed site during the summer– bubbling — so that we can create a safe container for both campers and staff. This means that all staff will remain on-site for the duration of the entire camp season or off site in pre-agreed ‘bubble’ activities such as off site camping on private land, etc. during their time-off. The only exceptions to this protocol being predetermined essential reasons outside of camp.

As always, we will call you if your child is ill or having difficulties adjusting to Camp. After all start-of-session COVID-19 tests have come back negative we will contact all parents via email to let them know we will be moving forward with fully integrated camp programming. We will also send our mid-session update to keep our families up to date on how camp is going. If at any point there is a positive COVID-19 tested case in any part of camp we will inform all parents via email, inform them about any potential exposure of their camper, and discuss next steps.

Until all testing is complete, campers will do all activities with their cabin group and will remain socially distanced from all other cabins. With increased emphasis on health and hygiene at camp including instruction on hand washing, and enhanced cleaning and sanitation throughout camp, some activities and events may be altered or not offered based on current health recommendations. We will provide more details as the summer approaches.

Individuals who are immunosuppressed (as defined by their medical professional) or live in a home with an immunosuppressed person should consult with their doctor(s) before deciding whether or not to participate in any summer camp program. Though we are taking extensive actions to keep Camp safe, Augusta is not able to guarantee that a person on our site will not be exposed to COVID-19; thus, unless vaccines become more widely available and the virus is more under control, participation in any camp program during the pandemic is not recommended for individuals with known vulnerabilities that put them at greater risk. If you have any questions or concerns about this recommendation, please reach out to us to set up a time to talk with a member of our team.

Nevada County has made it clear that they will follow the state’s lead, which is why we are focusing our lobbying efforts at the state level. Our lobbying efforts are in partnership with California camps, the American Camping Association (ACA) and the California Collaborative for Youth (CCFY).

The State of California has not yet issued guidance for children’s overnight summer camps to re-open. We are working with camp organizations and California legislators to ask Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary Mark Ghaly to provide this guidance soon.

You can join our advocacy efforts by clicking here, every voice counts! We will keep families informed about this critical issue throughout the year.

Our ‘final’ plan for the summer will be released in mid to late March, and of course, may change from there depending on how the virus is progressing or diminishing.