Summer camps seeing fewer kids sign up under COVID-19

This is the first time Garner is holding summer camps since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The town expected many kids to register, but aren't seeing the numbers they'd like to see.

In accordance with CDC guidelines, camps are accepting fewer children. However, most years, spots would be full by this time.

Staffing is also a concern, as Garner only has 20 applicants to help work the camps. By now, around 70 applicants would have applied. It seems to be a statewide problem.

"It's disappointing that we don't have the number of people wanting these jobs, because to me, it's the best summer job that a teenager or college student can have," said Garner Recreation Programs Manager Jack Baldwin. "It seems to be, not just a Garner issue, but a state and local area issue."

Earlier this year, Duke University researchers spent months studying indoor and outdoor YMCA camps across the Triangle and found that, with safety measures in place, there is minimal risk of coronavirus spread at activities like schools and camps.