With conditions continuing to improve across Los Angeles County, we have worked closely with USC’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), USC Student Health, and USC Facilities Planning and Management to update our health and safety guidelines for those wishing to conduct in-person programs, activities or events involving minors. Review the in-person requirements and restrictions, and approval process, below.
Updated: September 9, 2021
In-person requirements and restrictions
- Overnight programs are typically not permitted at this time; exceptions must receive CPMC Coordination Group review and approval.
- Programming must be conducive to proper physical distancing; 10 feet for activities involving exercise, singing, and cheering and 6 feet for all other settings. To the extent distancing results in capacity limitations, a sufficient number of adults must still be present at the activity to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the participants. For example, enough adults must be present to ensure that any one-on-one interactions between an adult and a minor participant are appropriately monitored, observable, and interruptible by another adult.
- All participants must be screened for symptoms, through completion of Trojan Check or similar wellness screening by participant and/or guardian, daily. Each participant’s temperature will be taken daily prior to the start of the program. Participants feeling unwell should stay home.
- All participants should be fully vaccinated, if possible, and should provide proof of negative viral test taken no more than 1-3 days before the start date, and undergo weekly testing thereafter.
- Program staff should be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing; programs should obtain vaccination status for all programs staff.
- Programs must develop a plan to immediately report any single case of COVID-19 in a participant or staff member who has been present in the 14 days before diagnosis or symptoms onset to USC Student Health as well as the LA Department of Public Health.
- Programs should also have a plan for suspending in-person activities (e.g., move to virtual programming) for a short period of time in the event of an outbreak.
- Program participants (and, in the case of minor participants, their parent/guardian) must sign an informed consent form that includes COVID-19 language approved by the university.
- Non-USC program staff must complete the USC Volunteer Agreement.
- Staff and participants must wear proper face coverings where required.
Approval process
- Planners are required to consult with the Office of Youth Protection and Programming when minors are participating in a camp, program, activity or event, and to direct all COVID-19 safety-related questions to USC Environmental Health and Safety.
- Register with the Office of Youth Protection and Programming. Programs will need to complete program registration, ensuring the following:
- A successful background check for all adult participants must be completed prior to the start date.
- Adult participants must complete the university’s online training module regarding mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect.
- Complete LA Department of Public Health Order: Reopening Protocol for Day Camps: Appendix K and submit to the Office of Youth Protection and Programming for review.
- Follow and distribute LA Department of Public Health Order: Reopening Protocol for Day Camps: Appendix K to all staff.
- As an additional resource, consult the CDC Readiness and Planning Tool, designed to help protect adults, youth, and communities, and slow the spread of COVID-19.
Should you need further information or support, contact minors@usc.edu.