Campsites- surely they’re one of the worst places to spread infection.

[Polar0pposite]

Clearly VT has never stayed in one.

Grubby, humid shower blocks and loos, cramped washing up areas covered in germs from the last family washing plates and clothes.Playgrounds, shops....

We got our very old, no bathroom, static last year and we can't go

Am keeping everything crossed that they open campsites soon.

Have they opened campsites op? Where have you read it?

No they haven’t but VT said he was going to look into it during briefing when asked. His knee jerk answer was concerns re people sharing tents. Just seemed to me that tents are the least of the problems.

I don't think I regularly come within 2m of people outside of my family on a Campsite? Might be a queue if toilets are busy, but a lot less than there is at tesco right now!

I think units have to be 6m apart for fire regulations.

Don't think you'd need to do anything really it's more the restrictions on travel, and whether these will stay in place in certain parts of the country. And of course eating options may be limited if restaurants aren't open properly, but that wouldn't affect us.

Shower blocks and dish washing areas are often heaving at peak time when we have been in the school holidays. The thought of supermarket type queues for facilities would be a nightmare. People would give up and wee in bushes, not bother washing etc. Would be a nightmare to keep clean.Kids run feral on campsites. People drink as on holiday and inhibitions would relax as regards social distancing.

Disaster

@Polar0pposite

Please tell me you realise why you sound ridiculous worrying about virus multiplying in hot tents.

What is so horrific about weeing in a bush?

VT said he was going to look into during when asked
Well, why not wait until he's done that then?
If they're allowed to open they will have to operate under certain conditions, the same as any other business. People will decide if they want to use them on that basis. It's not going to be compulsory, so need to worry about it.

Who is VT?

But no one is forcing you to go camping at the moment... I think actually if they ran campsites at half capacity and asked people to sign up for 10 minute slots for showers in the mornings for example then actually camping is pretty low risk. I’m a total clean freak who finds camping generally a bit grubby (DH and DS love it and go a couple of times a year on their own). You take all your own bedding and equipment, you prepare all your own food on your own crockery etc and then you wash it up and store it back in your tent. The little shops on site are no more risky than your average corner shop at home if people wait patiently outside. It’s known the virus is much less risky if you’re outdoors. I think camping sensibly is actually pretty low risk tbh.

Normally not much if very few resort to doing it but during a pandemic where people won’t be washing hands- do I really need to ask?

One of the country’s top experts had a similar knee jerk reaction re tents so I’m clearly not dim. Personally I think facilities, personal care and alcohol consumption in unregulated areas pose far bigger risks.

It’s not about risk to me as I won’t be going but inviting a second spike in areas with limited facilities. Bonkers. Why do they need to open this year?

I'm also wondering who VT is.

@Polar0pposite

Which expert thought coronavirus multiplied in tents. Could you provide a source?

Professor Van Tam dep medical officer. I’ve been v impressed with him so far.He didn’t fear virus multiplying in tents but said they were enclosed spaces. No source as it was yesterday’s briefing question time.

Well tents are enclosed. He is correct.

Please reassure me you know how the virus multiplies op.

We run a campsite and caravan park in a coastal town in the UK and even though we are desperate to be able to open and start making some income again, I feel very strongly that campsites should not be opening yet.

It sounds lovely, lots of fresh air, well spaced pitches for caravans and tents, perfect for social distancing etc but like others have mentioned on this thread, how will facilities be kept safe for people to use?

During very busy times there are often some queues for showers. To keep these facilities clean and safe during this COVID-19 period, every shower cubicle should be cleaned between each use, instead of the usual 3 - 4 times per day. If facilities are open 24 hours a day, which we feel they need to be, then we have calculated that we would need to employ an additional 20 full time staff to be able to clean all the facilities after each use. We currenly employ 8 members of staff. If pitch fees are increased to help to pay all these extra staff, the price of a pitch will be very high.

The campsites/caravan parks that have shared facilities (the majority of sites) can't just open for those who say they will use their own facilities in their motorhome or tent. How would you guarantee that would happen? You can't, unless you lock all the facilities blocks so that nobody can use them at all. That is not practical. I agree with the OP who said people will just "wee in bushes" etc.

There need to be a lot of on-site changes made (or a lot of progression to a different stage of COVID-19) before the majority of UK campsites would be safe to open.

I will be surprised if we're told that campsites and caravan parks with shared facilities are safe enough to open this season.

Clearly all the restaurant/ public loo/ school closures, social distancing/ hygiene measures in schools, shops and well everywhere are overkill then.

I’m somewhere where campsites are opening up; the shower facilities will not be open. Potable water at standpipe, single outhouse type toilet but no communal wash area. Every second site etc. so better suited to units with own shower; motor homes and travel trailers.

@tentatively

Nobody is holidaying anywhere else this year. Come up with a plan re spacing, shower times etc then hike your rates. You'll make a killing surely.

Why do toilets need to be cleaned more? Nobody cleans the toilets in work between every visitor.

I think the OP and my experience of camping is very different as well as our understanding of have the CV is transmitted.

Campervan owner here (with a chemical loo) and I would be sooooooo happy if they opened some sites up! I totally think there is a way to make it safe, and I actually come into contact with very few people while I camp.

The idea of sitting around a fire pit after a day cycling, drinking wine is my happy place!

It’s also the monitoring of families not mixing, huge responsibility for camp site owners who would also surely be at risk of fines from environmental health re facilities. EH are going into work spaces after complaints re CV safety why give them a shed load more work when we don’t need to? It just seems nuts even contemplating opening campsites when you consider the huge lengths we’re supposed to go to generally. Hotels would be bad enough.

@Anotherchangeanothername

Are you worried about the virus multiplying in your hot campervan though

Do you know better than an actual campsite owner.

Not quite sure what speciak insight they have. Can the campsite owners see the virus multiplying in tents?