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Camp Question Mark: Skeptics have questions about decision to open summer day camps in New York

  • Medical personnel don PPE while attending to a patient (not...

    Seth Wenig/AP

    Medical personnel don PPE while attending to a patient (not infected with COVID-19) at Bellevue Hospital in New York on Oct. 28, 2020. Hospitals in the city's public NYC Health and Hospitals' system have been upgrading their equipment, bracing for a potential resurgence of coronavirus patients.

  • NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of...

    Barry Williams/for New York Daily News

    NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan. Students from state's on New York's quarantine list, as well as international students, arrived ahead of the official beginning of the school year on Wednesday to be tested upon and fulfill their mandatory quarantine.

  • A boy ignores caution tape to do pull ups on...

    Ted Shaffrey/AP

    A boy ignores caution tape to do pull ups on exercise equipment in Central Park during the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, May 3, 2020 in New York.

  • Ginger Pierce, center, and Pablo Guzman, right, hand out food...

    Ted Shaffrey/AP

    Ginger Pierce, center, and Pablo Guzman, right, hand out food at the Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen in New York during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

  • In an aerial view from a drone, patrons line up...

    Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

    In an aerial view from a drone, patrons line up for rapid COVID-19 tests at ProHealth Care on Dec. 3, 2020, in Jericho, New York.

  • A medical worker at NYU Langone Medical Center is asked...

    Sally Stapleton/AP

    A medical worker at NYU Langone Medical Center is asked to take a group photo of her medical staff colleagues and New York City firefighters who showed up to the hospital for the nightly 7 p.m. clapping appreciation given to health care workers in the city on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

  • Nurses and their supporters call for a moment of silence...

    Seth Wenig/AP

    Nurses and their supporters call for a moment of silence at a graveyard in the Bronx on Nov. 19, 2020.

  • A person rides a bike through the rain in Time...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A person rides a bike through the rain in Time Square on Oct. 12, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • A police officer hands out face masks in Fort Greene...

    Gardiner Anderson for New York Daily News

    A police officer hands out face masks in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday, May 3, 2020.

  • People enjoy the closed off East End Ave. from 89th...

    Barry Williams for New York Daily News

    People enjoy the closed off East End Ave. from 89th St. to 83rd St. on Saturday, May 2, 2020, in the Manhattan.

  • People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.

  • West Brooklyn Community High School graduate Jason Cardoso holds a...

    Kathy Willens/AP

    West Brooklyn Community High School graduate Jason Cardoso holds a mask he was given as a gift after picking up the diploma he earned back in March on Nov. 19, 2020 in Brooklyn.

  • People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.

  • A man from the Faith Bible Church of Corona, wearing...

    JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images

    A man from the Faith Bible Church of Corona, wearing a protective suit, facemask and gloves, hands out free facemasks in Corona, Queens, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic on May 13, 2020.

  • Michael Stanley, an employee for the MTA, is administered a...

    David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

    Michael Stanley, an employee for the MTA, is administered a COVID-19 test on Oct. 30, 2020 in New York City. The MTA has deployed COVID-19 screening sites for its employees at their bus depots and train yards.

  • Cars and cyclists move through Times Square after a rain...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    Cars and cyclists move through Times Square after a rain shower during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in New York.

  • People walk by social distancing signage in Central Park as...

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images

    People walk by social distancing signage in Central Park as the city continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Oct. 19, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • Healthcare workers wave as a parade of classic cars makes...

    Al Bello/Getty Images

    Healthcare workers wave as a parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center in a salute to workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.

  • People eat at an outdoor table at a restaurant in...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    People eat at an outdoor table at a restaurant in Manhattan on Dec. 2, 2020, in New York City. New York City, and much of the nation, is bracing for a surge of COVID-19 cases following the Thanksgiving holiday which saw millions of Americans travel to see family and friends. According to the COVID Tracking Project, a record-high of 96,039 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in the U.S. as of Monday.

  • A person with an umbrella walks through the rain in...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A person with an umbrella walks through the rain in Time Square on Oct. 12, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.

  • People leave home for the outdoors as the temperature hovered...

    Bebeto Matthews/AP

    People leave home for the outdoors as the temperature hovered around 70 degrees, even as the stay-at-home order remained in effect with Governor Andrew Cuomo warning that any change in behavior could reignite the spread of coronavirus, on Saturday, May 2, 2020, in Brooklyn's Prospect Park in New York.

  • Teddy bears wearing protective masks are displayed in front of...

    Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

    Teddy bears wearing protective masks are displayed in front of a restaurant on May 10, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • A sign announcing COVID-19 antibody tests for first responders is...

    Mary Altaffer/AP

    A sign announcing COVID-19 antibody tests for first responders is seen at the Westchester County Center on Monday, May 4, 2020, in White Plains, N.Y. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

  • The lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel, one of New York's...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The lobby of the Roosevelt Hotel, one of New York's oldest and most storied hotels, stands empty on Oct. 13, 2020 in Manhattan. The midtown hotel has announced that it will be closing due to a plunge in tourism as a result of COVID-19.

  • People walk past the Cobble Hill Cinemas movie theater on...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    People walk past the Cobble Hill Cinemas movie theater on Oct. 8, 2020 in Brooklyn.

  • Parents protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of...

    KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

    Parents protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 19, 2020. Officials announced on Thursday that all public schools in the city would close due to rising coronavirus cases.

  • People march across the Brooklyn Bridge as they participate in...

    Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images

    People march across the Brooklyn Bridge as they participate in "March for the Dead, Fight for the Living" memorial march for the lives lost due to the coronavirus pandemic on Aug. 21, 2020. Friends and family who lost loved ones to the coronavirus got together for a memorial to honor the memory of their deaths.

  • People cheer for medical workers at 7 p.m. on Tuesday,...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    People cheer for medical workers at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1558986410 Happy kids waving rainbow parachute...

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    Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1558986410 Happy kids waving rainbow parachute full of balls (Oksana Shufrych/Shutterstock)

  • People filled out paperwork as they waited in line to...

    Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News

    People filled out paperwork as they waited in line to give samples at a COVID-19 collection testing site located inside Sunset Park in Brooklyn on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020.

  • A person wears a PPE face covering as he walks...

    TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

    A person wears a PPE face covering as he walks through Grand Central Terminal at rush hour on Oct. 15, 2020.

  • Ring Precision Components employee Carl Linamen works with a robotic...

    Gene J. Puskar/AP

    Ring Precision Components employee Carl Linamen works with a robotic machine in Jamestown, N.Y. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Producing a part for a COVID-19 test for ThermoFisher Scientific, the company presently employs 88 people, working seven days a week.

  • A client of the nonprofit organization The River Fund receives...

    Bryan Thomas/Getty Images

    A client of the nonprofit organization The River Fund receives free groceries on May 6, 2020 in Queens. The River Fund, which has quadrupled their once-weekly food distribution since the beginning of the coronavirus shutdown seven weeks ago, serves over 3,000 households a week and distributes over 320,000 pounds of food.

  • Passengers aboard a NY Waterway ferry wear protective masks and...

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images

    Passengers aboard a NY Waterway ferry wear protective masks and sit socially distanced as the city continues Phase 4 of reopening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Sept. 25, 2020 in New York. NY Waterway recently restored commuter ferry service from Port Imperial in Weehawken, NJ to their two Lower Manhattan terminals, Brookfield Place/Battery Park City and Pier 11/Wall Street, as well as service from 14th Street in Hoboken, NJ and the Hoboken/NJ TRANSIT terminal to Lower Manhattan.

  • A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.

  • Restaurant workers and others hold a protest outside the office...

    TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

    Restaurant workers and others hold a protest outside the office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomos office on Sept. 28, 2020, in protest of coronavirus measures placed on the the city's independent restaurants and bars.

  • In this Feb. 19, 2021, photo provided by the Office...

    Mike Groll/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via AP

    In this Feb. 19, 2021, photo provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo provides a coronavirus update from the Red Room at the State Capitol in Albany, N.Y. Cuomo and his health commissioner offered a full-throated defense Friday of their March decision to require nursing homes to accept patients recovering from COVID-19, saying it was the best option for overwhelmed hospitals that desperately needed to free up beds.

  • NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of...

    Barry Williams/for New York Daily News

    NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • Cyclists and pedestrians move along the Queensboro Bridge on Friday,...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    Cyclists and pedestrians move along the Queensboro Bridge on Friday, May 22, 2020, in New York.

  • A sign offers COVID-19 antibody testing during the coronavirus pandemic...

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images

    A sign offers COVID-19 antibody testing during the coronavirus pandemic on May 15, 2020 in New York.

  • A woman accepts donated groceries on May 6, 2020 in...

    Bryan Thomas/Getty Images

    A woman accepts donated groceries on May 6, 2020 in Queens.

  • Ashley Gannon, center, reads a book as she and others...

    Kathy Willens/AP

    Ashley Gannon, center, reads a book as she and others wait in line outside a New York City Health + Hospitals COVID testing site in Brooklyn on Nov. 19, 2020. Gannon says she gets tested periodically to make sure she is coronavirus-free.

  • People get some fresh air at Orchard Beach in the...

    Seth Wenig/AP

    People get some fresh air at Orchard Beach in the Bronx borough of New York on Sunday, May 17, 2020. Parks, boardwalks and beaches attracted some crowds this weekend, though city beaches aren't officially open and won't be for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

  • People wait on line for COVID-19 testing at a mobile...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People wait on line for COVID-19 testing at a mobile testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020, after a spike in positive cases was found in the neighborhood.

  • A display at Grand Central Terminal shows how to wear...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    A display at Grand Central Terminal shows how to wear a face mask on Oct. 21, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • New York Police Department School Safety officer Bynoe, right, hands...

    Kathy Willens/AP

    New York Police Department School Safety officer Bynoe, right, hands out face masks to women at Brooklyn Bridge Park during the coronavirus pandemic on Sunday, May 17, 2020, in New York.

  • A person wearing scrubs holds a placard and an upside...

    BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

    A person wearing scrubs holds a placard and an upside down US flag during the "March for the Dead" across the Brooklyn Bridge, in memory of those who have died of COVID-19 and to protest the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic on Aug. 21, 2020.

  • Barry Gross of Little Valley, N.Y. works at his work...

    Gene J. Puskar/AP

    Barry Gross of Little Valley, N.Y. works at his work station on his first day back at Colecraft Commercial Furnishings in Jamestown, N.Y. as part of the state's Phase One easing of COVID-19 restrictions on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

  • Police officers hand out face masks in Washington Squre Park...

    Gardiner Anderson for New York Daily News

    Police officers hand out face masks in Washington Squre Park in Manhattan, New York on Sunday, May 3, 2020.

  • Medical workers in personal protective equipment (PPE) test a woman...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Medical workers in personal protective equipment (PPE) test a woman for COViD-19 at Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of 11 churches across the city, as well as Nassau County and Westchester, that has begun testing for the virus on May 13, 2020 in New York City. The tests are being administered by Northwell Health and are targeting low income and minority communities where there have been greater rates of infection and hospitalizations.

  • A young girl peers out at the East River with...

    Kathy Willens/AP

    A young girl peers out at the East River with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop as she relaxes on the boardwalk at Brooklyn's Domino Park during the current coronavirus outbreak on Monday, May 18, 2020, in New York.

  • NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of...

    Barry Williams/for New York Daily News

    NYU students like up outside of the Stern School of Business to get a test for COVID-19 on Aug. 20, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • Testing kits are displayed on a table as medical workers...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Testing kits are displayed on a table as medical workers test for COViD-19 at Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of 11 churches across the city, as well as Nassau County and Westchester, that has begun testing for the virus on May 13, 2020 in New York City.

  • New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, right, greets students as...

    John Minchillo/AP

    New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, right, greets students as they arrive for in-person classes outside Public School 188 The Island School on Sept. 29, 2020, in Manhattan.

  • Theresa Soto delivers a prepaid flower arrangement to a customer...

    Al Bello/Getty Images

    Theresa Soto delivers a prepaid flower arrangement to a customer on May 10, 2020 in Merrick, New York.

  • A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau...

    Al Bello/Getty Images

    A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center to salute the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.

  • A registered nurse draws blood from resident Sonia Joy to...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A registered nurse draws blood from resident Sonia Joy to test for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 14, 2020. Churches in low income communities across New York are offering COVID-19 testing to residents in conjunction with Northwell Health and New York State.

  • People wear protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic on the...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    People wear protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic on the Roosevelt Island Tramway on Friday, May 22, 2020, in New York.

  • Health care workers tend to patrons who arrive for rapid...

    BRUCE BENNETT/Getty Images

    Health care workers tend to patrons who arrive for rapid COVID-19 tests at ProHealth Care on Dec. 3, 2020, in Jericho, New York. Earlier today, ProHealth opened rapid test drive-thru facilities at six locations in New York City and on Long Island.

  • "We Will Dance Again" promises the marquee on the dance...

    Ted Shaffrey/AP

    "We Will Dance Again" promises the marquee on the dance performance venue The Joyce Theater, closed during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York City.

  • Volunteers with the Grant Houses Tenant Association prepare donated food...

    Mary Altaffer/AP

    Volunteers with the Grant Houses Tenant Association prepare donated food to be distributed to elderly residents of the NYCHA Grant Houses on Monday, May 18, 2020, in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.

  • Robert Burck, who performs as the Naked Cowboy, poses for...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    Robert Burck, who performs as the Naked Cowboy, poses for photographs in Times Square during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in New York.

  • In this photo provided by the Office of Governor Andrew...

    Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via AP

    In this photo provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, New York Gov. Cuomo tries out a spraying device which is part of a three-step disinfecting process of a New York City subway car at the Corona Maintenance Facility in the Queens borough of of New York on Saturday, May 2, 2020. Cuomo announced on Thursday April 30, that New York City is shutting down its subway system each day from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. to increase cleaning of trains and stations during the coronavirus crisis.

  • People are assisted at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People are assisted at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.

  • People walk through the Oculus transportation hub and mall on...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    People walk through the Oculus transportation hub and mall on Dec. 2, 2020, in New York City.

  • People wait on line at a mobile COVID-19 testing site...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People wait on line at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.

  • Dining tables stand empty in Grand Central Terminal on Oct....

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Dining tables stand empty in Grand Central Terminal on Oct. 13, 2020 in Manhattan. New York City, which has increasingly built its economy around the money made from the tourism industry, has witnessed an increasing number of heritage establishments closing their doors as business has fallen off. Restaurants, retail stores, hotels and numerous other businesses are struggling as COVID-19 continues.

  • A medical worker takes a nasal swab sample from a...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A medical worker takes a nasal swab sample from a student to test for COVID-19 at the Brooklyn Health Medical Alliance urgent care pop up testing site as infection rates spike on October 8, 2020 in Brooklyn. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier in the week new restrictions in several areas recording high infection rates to try to ward off a second coronavirus wave.

  • A woman holds flowers inside a bodega on May 10,...

    Jeenah Moon/Getty Images

    A woman holds flowers inside a bodega on May 10, 2020 in Manhattan.

  • A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau...

    Al Bello/Getty Images

    A parade of classic cars makes its way by Nassau University Medical Center to salute the healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic on May 4, 2020, in East Meadow, New York.

  • People line up outside City MD on E. 37th St....

    Barry Williams/for New York Daily News

    People line up outside City MD on E. 37th St. and Third Ave. in Manhattan on Nov. 12 2020 as COVID-19 levels increase in New York City.

  • People line up outside City MD on E. 37th St....

    Barry Williams/for New York Daily News

    People line up outside City MD on E. 37th St. and Third Ave. in Manhattan on Nov. 12 2020 as COVID-19 levels increase in New York City.

  • In this image made from video provided by the Office...

    Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo via AP

    In this image made from video provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo updates the media on New York's coronavirus response on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in Albany, N.Y. New York state on Saturday reported its lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths in weeks in what Cuomo described as a critical benchmark.

  • A closed plaza is seen on Oct. 21, 2020 in...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    A closed plaza is seen on Oct. 21, 2020 in Manhattan. Recent data from John Hopkins University shows that the U.S. recorded over 60,300 on Tuesday alone.

  • A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample from a resident to test for COVID-19 at The Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 13, 2020.

  • A cooler of free food sits on a bench in...

    Gene J. Puskar/AP

    A cooler of free food sits on a bench in front of the Unitarian Church of Jamestown in Jamestown, N.Y. on Tuesday, May 19, 2020.

  • Columbia University class of 2020 graduates pose for celebratory photographs...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    Columbia University class of 2020 graduates pose for celebratory photographs on commencement day in front of the Alma Mater statue near the Low Memorial Library Wednesday on May 20, 2020, in New York.

  • A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.

  • Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Patrick Foye,...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Patrick Foye, speaks during a news conference on new measures involving UV-C light technology to disinfect trains and buses during the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in New York.

  • A woman is assisted at a mobile COVID-19 testing site...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    A woman is assisted at a mobile COVID-19 testing site in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on Aug. 13, 2020.

  • A window at a Starbucks reads "WE ARE OPEN!" during...

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images

    A window at a Starbucks reads "WE ARE OPEN!" during the coronavirus pandemic on May 10, 2020 in New York. Stores across the city and state have started to reopen while adopting social distancing rules. Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to reopen the state in phases amid a drop in hospitalizations.

  • A sign reminding visitors that face coverings are mandatory is...

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images

    A sign reminding visitors that face coverings are mandatory is displayed inside NY Waterway's Midtown Ferry Terminal following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on Sept. 25, 2020 in New York.

  • A woman holds up a candle as people participate in...

    BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

    A woman holds up a candle as people participate in the "March for the Dead" across the Brooklyn Bridge, in memory of those who have died of COVID-19 and to protest the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, on Aug. 21, 2020. The United States has recorded the most deaths with 174,290, according to Johns Hopkins University, followed by Brazil with 112,304, Mexico with 59,106, India with 54,849 and Britain with 41,403.

  • Osman Pineda, left to right, William Garcia hand out donated...

    Bryan Thomas/Getty Images

    Osman Pineda, left to right, William Garcia hand out donated groceries to those who need them on May 6, 2020 in Queens.

  • A employee of the Central Family Life Center prepares bags...

    Mary Altaffer/AP

    A employee of the Central Family Life Center prepares bags of groceries during a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway on Nov. 19, 2020, in Stapleton, Staten Island. The center gave away over 200 turkeys, the trimmings for a Thanksgiving meal and as well as PPE to protect against COVID-19.

  • People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    People wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Oct. 1, 2020.

  • A woman being pushed in a wheelchair leads a group...

    Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images

    A woman being pushed in a wheelchair leads a group of people marching the Brooklyn Bridge during the "March for the Dead, Fight for the Living" memorial march on August 21, 2020.

  • The white tents of the Samaritan's Purse field hospital stand...

    Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

    The white tents of the Samaritan's Purse field hospital stand in a field in Central Park across the street from Mt. Sinai Hospital on May 4, 2020, on the Upper East Side neighborhood in New York City. Mt. Sinai reports that the surge in COVID-19 hospital admissions is reaching manageable levels therefore Mt. Sinai will stop admitting new patients to the Central Park field hospital run by Samaritan's Purse as of May 4.

  • People filled out paperwork as they waited in line to...

    Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News

    People filled out paperwork as they waited in line to give samples at a COVID-19 collection testing site located inside Sunset Park in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020.

  • People attend a candlelight vigil a procession in tribute to...

    KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

    People attend a candlelight vigil a procession in tribute to all of the lives affected by the novel coronavirus outside The Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Oct. 19, 2020, in Manhattan.

  • Lynn Henry holds up a sign with a picture of...

    Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images

    Lynn Henry holds up a sign with a picture of her aunt, Elizabeth Edmond, prior to the "March for the Dead, Fight for the Living" memorial march on August 21, 2020. Edmond died from COVID-19 in April.

  • A resident waits to enter a testing room to test...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A resident waits to enter a testing room to test for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem on May 14, 2020.

  • Children take part in a protest demanding that public schools...

    KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

    Children take part in a protest demanding that public schools remain open outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Nov. 19, 2020.

  • A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection...

    Gardiner Anderson/for New York Daily News

    A crowd of Hasidic Jews block traffic at the intersection of 49th Street and 13th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn during a protest against new COVID-19 restrictions on Oct. 6, 2020.

  • A cleaning crew disinfects a New York City subway train...

    Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

    A cleaning crew disinfects a New York City subway train on May 4, 2020, in New York City. The New York City subway system has seen a 90 percent decline in ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the city.

  • A bar sells drinks to go during the coronavirus pandemic...

    Cindy Ord/Getty Images

    A bar sells drinks to go during the coronavirus pandemic on May 10, 2020 in New York.

  • New York City Fire Department vehicle drives along an empty...

    Frank Franklin II/AP

    New York City Fire Department vehicle drives along an empty Orchard Beach on Saturday, May 23, 2020, in the Bronx borough of New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has given New Yorkers an unexpected reprieve from cabin fever by easing the state's ban on gatherings due to coronavirus concerns in time for the Memorial Day weekend. New York City beaches are open this weekend, but no swimming is allowed, and masks must be worn.

  • People march towards the Brooklyn Bridge during the "March for...

    Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images

    People march towards the Brooklyn Bridge during the "March for the Dead, Fight for the Living" memorial march on August 21, 2020.

  • Guests watch a showing of "Trolls World Tour" at the...

    John Minchillo/AP

    Guests watch a showing of "Trolls World Tour" at the Four Brothers Drive In Theatre on Friday, May 15, 2020, in Amenia, N.Y., during the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Broadway theaters stand closed along an empty street in the...

    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Broadway theaters stand closed along an empty street in the theater district on Oct. 9, 2020 in Manhattan. The Broadway League, a trade organization representing producers and theater owners, announced that performances in New York City will be suspended through May 30, 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

  • The playground adjacent to P.S. 112 Jose Celso Barbosa, a...

    Barry Williams/for New York Daily News

    The playground adjacent to P.S. 112 Jose Celso Barbosa, a Pre-K-through-2nd grade school, sits empty on Nov. 13 2020 in Manhattan. The school closed on November 9 after multiple cases of COVID-19 were reported.

  • Mayor Bill de Blasio was joined by FDNY Commissioner Daniel...

    Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News

    Mayor Bill de Blasio was joined by FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro as they delivered words of thanks and food in collaboration with Frontline Foods to commemorate International Firefighters Day at FDNY EMS Station 4 on South Street in Manhattan on Monday, May 4, 2020.

  • Shoppers in masks wait on a line around the block...

    Gardiner Anderson for New York Daily News

    Shoppers in masks wait on a line around the block to enter the Costco on 39th Street in Brooklyn, New York on Monday, May 4, 2020.

  • A schoolyard is closed outside a public school in the...

    ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

    A schoolyard is closed outside a public school in the Brooklyn on Nov. 19, 2020.

  • A person holds a placard and an upside down US...

    BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images

    A person holds a placard and an upside down US flag during the "March for the Dead" across the Brooklyn Bridge, in memory of those who have died of COVID-19 and to protest the Trump administration's handling of the pandemic, on August 21, 2020.

  • Stylists from Shortcut trim the hair of surgical residents Tyler...

    Kathy Willens/AP

    Stylists from Shortcut trim the hair of surgical residents Tyler Draeger, rear, and Justin Gauthier, right, both frontline workers from Mount Sinai Hospital South Nassau, in an overflow tent that was never used during the current coronavirus outbreak on Thursday, May 21, 2020, in Oceanside, New York. Signature Bank sponsored three days of free haircuts for hospital staff.

  • People hand out protest signs as they prepare to march...

    Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/Getty Images

    People hand out protest signs as they prepare to march towards the Brooklyn Bridge during the "March for the Dead, Fight for the Living" memorial march on August 21, 2020.

  • People wait on line at a mobile COVID-19 testing site...

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Communities breathed a collective sigh of relief over news that summer day camps in the city can open for business later this month, but skeptical moms and dads worry that may be easier said than done.

After weeks of worry over what to do with restless children bored with Google classroom and itching to go outside, Gov. Cuomo — boosted by good news in the battle against coronavirus, — gave the OK on Tuesday for day camps to restart operations.

But critics said the summer camp decree is hardly a ray of sunshine. And without precise guidelines for parents on how to keep their children safe, many kids will be bunking in their bedrooms.

“We’re going to go a couple of weeks and spend some time with close family,” said Andrea Brustein, an Upper West Side lawyer whose two kids usually go to sleepaway camp. “They’ll get to play with their cousins for a couple of weeks. Then after that I don’t know.”

Brustein, 42, said her 8-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter took it kind of hard when their usual summer spot was closed because of coronavirus.

Andrea Brustein with her family. Husband, Michael Firestone, daughter Renata Firestone and son Alex Firestone.
Andrea Brustein with her family. Husband, Michael Firestone, daughter Renata Firestone and son Alex Firestone.

And as much as she would like to make the sad faces disappear, Brustein said she is not ready to take the chance at Camp Question Mark.

“Even if there was a way to have people at camp and have it be safe, it wouldn’t have felt like camp,” Brustein said. “Nasal swabs and temperature checks. It just wouldn’t feel right.”

There are no plans for nasal swabs at Asphalt Green’s two Manhattan summer camps, but kids will start their day with some quality thermometer time.

Camp Director Katie Duffy, who runs Asphalt Green’s Upper East Side and Battery Park sites, said temperature checks will be part of the daily health screenings that will start each child’s day.

That’s not all that’s different. Instead of 800 daily campers, counselors will play host to only 200 kids to accommodate social distancing. Equipment will be sanitized between uses, and activities will be more structured and closely monitored, Duffy said. There will be no field trips.

Even lunch will be different. Instead of family-style feasts, meals will be pre-plated to cut down on the number of mitts touching the food.

And there will be lots of hand washing, Duffy said. Lots and lots of handwashing.

“We’re taking a look at everything in camp from the second it starts to the second it ends,” Duffy explained. “We wouldn’t be opening if we didn’t feel confident we can run a safe camp.”

Among those applauding Cuomo’s decision to reopen is the American Camp Association of New York and New Jersey.

“Camp is essential for childcare in New York during the summer months as well as beneficial for children’s mental well-being and we are thrilled that he has recognized the importance of these small businesses,” the group said. “We are hopeful the governor will consider opening New York overnight camps as they provide similar benefits for children and parents. Our camp operators are now anxiously awaiting the immediate release of guidance by the Department of Health so camps can continue to plan for opening at the end of the month.”

But no matter how much hand sanitizer and social distancing, summer camp won’t get off the ground unless parents buy in, said City Councilman Justin Brannan (D-Brooklyn).

Brannan said parents in his Bay Ridge district have been hitting him with camp questions since Cuomo made the announcement. And Brannan doesn’t have many answers.

“It’s going to come down to the confidence of the parents to send their kids,” Brannan said. “Everyone wants to open the city. Some people would come. But not everybody. Some people aren’t confident that it’s safe. There’s just a lot of confusion. It’s going to have to look different from what last year looked like because COVID is still there.”

Latest coronavirus updates: Click here for our roundup of the most important developments from NYC and around the world.