If you’ve been holding off booking overnight camp for your child because you were worried it might not happen, get your bug spray and sunscreen ready! Governor Murphy announced this week that sleepaway camps across New Jersey will be allowed to safely resume their operations this summer.
While New Jersey had summer day camps last summer, sleepaway camps in the state weren’t allowed to operate, though overnight camps in neighboring states did run with very few complications. Many required quarantining for campers before they arrived, or testing, or both and placed kids into small groups or cohorts so they could isolate any possible COVID outbreaks.
Camps will have to follow some regulations that will be decided later by the New Jersey Department of Health and the American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey in the coming months. But Wednesday’s announcement means that camps will now have time to properly plan for a safe and healthy summer.
Similarly, Murphy also announced a big change in wedding reception rules, which will allow people planning their outdoor summer weddings to invite additional guests. Starting Friday, wedding receptions will be allowed to be at 35 percent of a venue’s indoor capacity, up to 150 people. All guests must wear masks, except while they are seated to eat and drink (no standing and eating or drinking are allowed). Outdoor weddings will also be capped at 150 guests. Both indoor and outdoor events will still need to abide by CDC recommendations for masks and social distancing.
