Day camps in New York state will be allowed to open June 29th, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced at his Tuesday briefing -- including day camps in New York City, the state Department of Health confirmed.
The move offers a potential childcare option for New York families who have been sheltering in place since the state went on PAUSE during the coronavirus pandemic and schools across the state went into remote learning mode. Most daycares also closed, though the city has established Regional Enrichment Centers for the children of essential workers.
Cuomo did not immediately offer any details about what cleaning, safety and distancing protocols will be implemented at day camps.
Leonard Petlakh, executive director of the Kings Bay Y, which runs the JCC Brooklyn day camp at Fort Hamilton, said he was also awaiting guidance from the city and state on official opening rules.
“The mayor has to declare it since his (Department of Health) has the regulating authority,” Petlakh said in a text message Tuesday. “My take, it would take a few days as these grownups learn to share toys in their playground.”
The mayor's office and the NYC Health Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Cuomo's announcement.
Cuomo has said one of the reasons for the delay was the emergence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) which has so far sickened 190 children and killed three children in the state. Patients experience symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome, possibly due to COVID-19.
"Until we have this answer on this pediatric syndrome, as a parent, until I know how widespread this is, I would not send my children to day camp," Cuomo said on May 21st. "If I won’t send my children to day camp, I wouldn’t ask anybody else to send their children to day camp. It’s that simple."
The city-run camps have been canceled for this year. New Jersey’s day camps can open on July 6th, and Connecticut’s day camps can start operating on June 29th.
