WAYNE COUNTY, Pa. — Tucked away in rural Wayne County are about 30 summer camps and all sat empty in 2020, including Trail's End Camp in Beach Lake.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health has released guidance for summer camps to open this year.
"We know that as a camp we can provide almost like a bubble-esque type of environment or really controlled environment for our campers and our staff and protect them as well as a local community to anyone that's coming out," said Sara Fetterhoff, Trail's End Camp assistant director.
Trail's End will require a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before coming to camp. Testing will also be done throughout the summer on campers and staff as well as other safety measures.
"We're strongly encouraging all staff to get vaccinated, but at this point, they are not required, but obviously mask-wearing and all the safety precautions that you see in day-to-day life now held here as well."
Kids who attend camp come from all over, and so do much of the staff. Usually, some of the staff are from other states or are international. With travel restrictions, that's not possible this year, so some of the camps teamed up with the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance and are hosting an online job fair on April 21 targeted towards college students and young people to work at five summer camps in Wayne County.
"There you'll get an opportunity to meet several directors like myself who will be able to really educate you on the type of positions available throughout Wayne County, which is really exciting," Fetterhoff said.
Most of the camps will need staff for eight weeks from May through Labor Day.