It’s approaching the time of year when children don their best spooky costumes and venture into the night in search of sugary treats. Every year Halloween poses risks and demands extra precautions for trick-or-treating participants and people going about their regular business. This year COVID-19 has added an element of careful consideration to your child’s safe trick or treating experience.
With COVID-19, traditional trick or treating may be just as frightening as the ghouls and goblins running around on Halloween night. Luckily, the CDC has provided guidance to help children, their families, and hosts stay safe during this spooky season.
Make trick-or-treating safer:
- Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters.
- Give out treats outdoors, if possible.
- Set up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take.
- Wash hands before handling treats.
- Wear a mask.
Wear a mask:
- Make your cloth mask part of your costume.
- A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
- Do NOT wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult.
- Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing
Stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you:
- Indoors and outdoors, you are more likely to get or spread COVID-19 when you are in close contact with others for a long time.
Wash your hands:
- Bring hand sanitizer with you and use it after touching objects or other people.
- Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Parents: supervise young children using hand sanitizer.
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you get home and before you eat any treats.
Some other ideas if you’d like to avoid trick or treating this year:
- Hide Halloween treats in and around your house. Hold a Halloween treat hunt with household members.
- Hold an outdoor costume parade or contest so everyone can show off their costumes.
- Host an outdoor Halloween movie night with friends or neighbors or an indoor movie night with your household members.
Remember, just because there are other safety measures to take this year doesn’t mean that the traditional safety goes out the window! Check out the National Safety Councils website for more tips on how to stay safe and CDC’s website for other alternative ideas to trick- or- treating.
