Texas Will Give COVID-19 Tests To Summer Camps To Prevent Outbreaks

The Texas government will provide free COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to state licensed summer camps to prevent potential outbreaks.

Governor Greg Abbott urged summer camps to apply for the program as a way to keep campers and staff members safe.

"As normalcy returns to Texas, we must remain vigilant against the spread of COVID-19 by identifying positive cases and mitigating any potential outbreaks throughout the state. The COVID-19 Testing Program for Texas Youth Summer Camps will help camps safely operate throughout the summer by quickly identifying positive COVID-19 cases among campers and staff," Abbott said in a statement on Wednesday.

Last summer around 82% of all overnight camps and 40% of day camps across the country because of the coronavirus, according to the American Camp Association.

Even though summer is months away, Texas camps say they've been seeing a rise in registrations.

“For this year, I’ve never seen anything like it. Parents want to send their kids to camp," Steve Baskin, the executive director of Camp Champions, told CBS DFW.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance on if summer camps should open or not. The state also released a list of health protocols overnight camps must follow.

Photo: Getty Images