After summer, it is time to evaluate what we have done and tell you how our summer camps have been this year with COVID-19. Thanks to your collaboration and the work of our team, we have been able to carry out our camps without a positive cases during them.
Have summer camps been held?
Yes, in all the autonomous communities in which we work we have been able to carry out our camps, although with different regulations in each of them, we have adapted our camps and security protocols to the regulations of each area of Spain. We have organized camps in 7 facilities instead of the usual 10, but we are very happy to have had the trust of many families.
Evidently, this has been a different summer, but when it comes to our camps, they have been very similar to normal life where children were able to play, have fun and enjoy their time. The concept of bubble groups that schools now apply is what we proposed and we have put into practice in our camps.
Did the pre-camp prevention measures work? And the rapid COVID-19 virus tests?
As we all know by now, screening tests are not 100% foolproof, but the result of our experience in 2020 has been nothing but optimistic. The combination of family collaboration, prevention measures, and prior testing has helped ensure that we have not had a single case of coronavirus during our summer camps.
We carried out pre-camp tests on all our staff and all the campers. More than 1,300 tests done, the majority negative. The few cases in which the antibody test was positive were resolved by carrying out a second test in a medical center, a PCR test, to confirm or discard the result and thus know if the child could come to the camp.
Were there cases of coronavirus during the camps? And suspected cases?
With more than 1,100 children and 200 staff members, we can confirm that we have not had a single positive case once the camps began. There were cases of children with symptoms (fever, catarrhal symptoms) who were treated one by one and were ruled out by performing PCR tests at the reference medical center of each summer camp.
What will summer camps be like in 2021?
We sincerely hope that they will be completely normal, that by the summer of 2021 we all can return to normal life. But we will be prepared to offer you our 2021 summer camps with the necessary measures so that your children can have a lot of fun next summer. If by then we have not been able to leave COVID-19 in the past, we will have the best means as we have done this year.
We are already in contact with our healthcare providers so that we can achieve antigen testing if needed next summer. As well as bubble groups with even more reliable tests.
This is what we tell you in June 2020 about what our camps would be like.
Many families ask us these days if we can hold summer camps in 2020 despite the health crisis caused by Covid-19. After many weeks of waiting, we can finally give you the news we were waiting for: we will have summer camps!
Recently, health authorities have confirmed that summer camps can be held throughout Spain from phase 3. Also, from June 21 there are no travel restrictions.
1) What will summer camps be like this year?
2) Is there an official protocol for summer camps?
3) Will pre-camp tests be done?
4) How can we know that there are no children with coronavirus at the camp?
5) What hygiene measures are we going to apply?
6) Can you maintain social distance at summer camp?
7) Will the same activities that were scheduled take place?
8) Is the price of the camp maintained?
9) Will all the natuaventura camps be held?
10) What if the rules change again?
What will summer camps be like this year?
Our goal is to be as similar as possible to every year’s camps, places where children can be together and have fun. We want to see children playing games, sports, laughing, making friends, etc. Summer camps are normally held in facilities where most of the time only children and staff members coexist, without interacting with other people. When we leave these facilities it is because we plan activities in nature, such as on the beach or in the mountains, but obeying the recommendations and current regulations.
Kids need to leave these difficult weeks behind them and we are looking forward to helping them with our camps.
Is there an official protocol for summer camps?
No, each autonomous community has always had its own regulations regarding qualifications, staff / child ratios, health standards, etc.
In the coming weeks, each autonomous community in which we carry out the camps will inform us of the new regulations and recommendations to be complied with in each of them for July and August 2020 and we will make the necessary adaptations.
Can the recommendations to prevent COVID-19 be maintained in a camp?
Will pre-camp tests be done?
Unless health authorities initiate this process and extend this option to the population before starting summer camps, we will not ask families to take the test from now on, it is impossible to fulfill.
How can we know that there are no children with coronavirus in the camp?
If your child shows symptoms of the disease, you can cancel the camp at no cost up to 48 hours before starting the camp, you just have to inform us and attach the medical report. We are convinced that parents are responsible enough to not send their children if they feel ill to camp.
Each family must sign a statement, which we will send them before starting the camp, indicating that their children arrive at the camp without symptoms of the disease, have not had them during the previous two weeks and have not been in direct contact with anyone diagnosed with coronavirus in those two weeks.
What hygiene measures are we going to apply?
At summer camps we take care of hygiene on a daily basis. This year we will further strengthen cleaning in all our facilities. In the case of closed spaces such as rooms, tents, cabins, etc. their ventilation periods will also be increased.
At shift changes, all facilities will be thoroughly cleaned.
In the case of children, we will focus on hand washing, personal hygiene and the use of hydroalcoholic gels. Regarding wearing masks, the current regulations for children in the month of July will be applied.
The facilities will have posters with hygiene recommendations that will be known by the staff and informed to the children.
In addition, the hygienic and sanitary regulations established by each autonomous community in which we work will be complied with.
Can children maintain social distance at summer camp?
We will make the necessary adaptations to our daily routine in the camps to comply with the regulations that each autonomous community may establish: child/staff ratios, bus travel, hygiene regulations, etc.
This year we will program activities trying to reduce personal contact, taking advantage of the outdoor spaces and changing some games, but our proposal is to organize summer camps where children can enjoy playing and returning to a normal life.
As we previously published, the concept of social distance applied to a group of children in a summer camp is really impossible. Kids play, hug, touch, share things, and if you have them living together for two weeks, it is inevitable.
There will be no entry or exit of people outside the group, so we will keep our distance from the rest of the population, but in a summer camp the children live together as members of the same family.
This will limit the number of people that children can have contact with for two weeks, the number of camp participants, and the staff. A group of people who live together daily but do not deal with anyone else, do not go to supermarkets, restaurants, shops, etc.
The shopping, cooking and cleaning staff, the only ones going in and out of the facilities, will stay away from children and do their job wearing masks.
Will the same activities that were scheduled take place?
We will make changes to reduce contact with other people, but without losing sight of our goal: Kids playing, having fun, making friends and having positive experiences.
Excursions outside the camp will only take place in natural spaces such as mountains and beaches, eliminating cultural excursions and urban centers.
We are waiting to know if the regulations on bus transport require a reduction in its capacity in July. In that case, NATUAVENTURA will assume the extra cost for the trip to the camp, but we will reduce the number of excursions and activities that require a bus in the day-to-day running of the camp, replacing them with other activities.
Is the price of the camp kept?
Yes, we hope that more children will be able to return to camp and we do not want families to bear any additional costs. The cost derived from possible new regulations on transport, staff members, hygiene measures, etc. Natuaventura will assume it.
If regulations require adding something like masks or gel to personal items that each child brings to camp, we will notify you prior to camp.
The scheduled activities can be modified by changing any activity, mainly in the event that they have to take a bus for excursions with limited places.
Will all the natuaventura camps be held?
Today we have in almost all the camps the necessary reserves to carry out the summer camps. If between now and June 14 we do not reach the minimum number of participants, we will inform you so we can change you to another of our camps with similar characteristics and price.
What if the rules change again?
If the rules change and one of our summer camps cannot be held, we will be 100% flexible and we can change you to another camp, save your money for next year or refund of the money.
-NO CANCELLATION FEE – full refund of the money you have paid.
-Change the reservation for another date or destination this summer (July and August).
Keep your reservation for 2021 summer with a voucher.
As you can notice, if summer camps cannot be held, our conditions for cancelling will be completely flexible and free for families.
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