June 19, 2020

Soyuzivka overnight camps cancelled for 2020 season

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The Ukrainian National Foundation board and Soyuzivka management have made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel all overnight camps at Soyuzivka for the upcoming summer 2020 Season. This difficult decision was made to comply with the order issued on Friday, June 12, by New York State Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker, citing the risks of COVID-19 and the difficulty in enforcing social distancing and mask use.

“Overnight camps have congregate settings and sleeping arrangements in close quarters that present too many risks,” Dr. Zucker said in a statement. “In such a setting, even a single positive case in a camper or staff member could create an untenable quarantine situation and overwhelm camp health personnel that may not be able to handle a serious infectious outbreak of this nature.”

Although a large portion of the country has begun to reopen and engage in activities that do not focus on social distancing as strictly as during the quarantine period, this is not as true in the New York region. Cases continue to climb as more testing is occurring, and the risk is still real, especially in an environment where activities allow for too many people to be congregated in close quarters.

Furthermore, there is a newer risk in some children who have developed MIS-C, which can lead to a serious illness requiring intensive care treatment. Unfortunately, three children in New York have died from this condition.

As president of the UNF, and speaking for the board, we had great hopes to salvage some of the summer season, particularly the summer camps, as this is a vital cultural link for our extended family. But as a physician, I have to agree with the conservative assessment put forth by Dr. Zucker and err on the side of caution in order to protect our children.

We thank you for your support and patience during these trying times, and we promise to return to normal as soon as it is medically and logistically feasible.

Wasyl Szeremeta, M.D., is president of the Ukrainian National Foundation.

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