NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York state will not let sleepaway camps open this summer due to COVID-19 concerns, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said Friday.
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In a press release issued Friday afternoon, Zucker said overnight camps “have congregate settings and sleeping arrangements in close quarters that present too many risks.”
“In such a setting, even a single positive case in a camper or staff member could create an untenable quarantine situation and overwhelm camp health personnel that may not be able to handle a serious infectious outbreak of this nature,” he said.
Zucker noted that he had “fond memories of summer sleepaway camp as a kid, and I understand the role they play in childhood development and the disappointment this decision may bring to families across the state.”
“But amid the worst public health crisis in a century, my number one priority is the health and safety of all New Yorkers,” he said.
“And while infection rates are declining, we need to proceed with caution and take every step possible to avoid undoing all the progress New Yorkers have made in bending the curve and reopening the state safely and responsibly.”