RI: Summer Camps In, Sports Still Out

PROVIDENCE, RI — Gov. Gina M. Raimondo assured Rhode Islanders that the state is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, announcing that summer camps will be held this year, but youth sports remain off the table.

“I want you to have a sense of confidence that we’re on our way to recovery,” Raimondo said during her daily COVID-19 State House briefing, if people continue to follow health safety rules, including:

• Wearing masks in public
• Washing hands regularly
• Staying home if sick
• Getting tested if you feel sick
• Working from home

“If we hang in there just a bit more and really try to follow these rules we will in much better shape a month from now and more able to continue to open the economy.”

The Governor provided a brief update on the state’s collaboration with Rhode Island PBS to produce a statewide televised graduation ceremony dubbed, “Your Year 2020.”

The deadline for the Class of 2020 to submit their videos to add to the ceremony is May 22, she said.

“Thank you to PBS for airing that. We want to make it a night you’ll never forget,” Raimondo said.

Summer camps allowed

“We’ll begin to allow summer camps and youth summer camps to operate in person in the State of RI starting June 29,” Raimondo said.

There will be new guidelines to protect children and staff against COVID-19, she said, including a new cleaning regimen.

The state will ask camp providers to keep kids in small groups, which will be stable groups, meaning they’ll consist of the same kids whenever they meet, Raimondo said.

“For their mental and emotional and intellectual development and health, I think we need to try to operate summer camps this summer,” Raimondo said.

Raimondo said the details of the summer camp guidelines will be posted to Reopeningri.com next week.

Youth sports off this summer

“CDC has recommended cancelling or postponing all organized youth sports. I can’t really go against that guidance,” Raimondo said.

Two teams playing against each other in a close setting is too risky, she said.

Raimondo said she and her team are looking at ways to enable some sports, perhaps in summer sports camps, with new health guidelines.

Small business input sought

Raimondo asked small business owners to email the state through the Reopeningri.com page for ideas on how best to use the stimulus funding.