One of the most enduring symbols of summer is no match for the coronavirus.

The state health commisioner announced Friday that he's prohibiting sleepaway camps from opening this year.

Dr. Howard Zucker said he reached the decision after looking at the "best available science and data."

He said social distancing is just too difficult to practice at overnight camps, where campers are usually housed in close quarters.

"In such a setting, even a single positive case in a camper or staff member could create an untenable quarantine situation and overwhelm camp health personnel that they may not be able to handle a serious infection or outbreak of this nature," Zucker said in a statement. 

Summer day camps, however, can open beginning June 29, as decided earlier this month.