ALERT! First of all, if you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. Be sure to continue to use COVID-19 safety precautions. Here are reminders and precautionary steps to take.
Steps to Take when Greeting Trick or Treaters
- Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters.
- Give out treats from outdoors, if possible.
- Set up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take.
- Wash hands before handling treats.
- Wear a mask.
Precautions for Trick-or-Treaters
- Make a 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 over 5 minutes.
- Wash your hands
- Take a hand sanitizer with you! Use it after touching objects or other people.
Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Suggestions for Parents
- Supervise young children when they are using hand sanitizers.
- At the end of an evening of handing out or collecting treats, have everyone wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Remember to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes frequently, especially if touching surfaces, pumpkins, or apples that are being frequently touched by others.
Alternative Halloween Activities
Enjoy alternative Halloween activities while taking steps to protect yourself from getting or spreading COVID-19. Remember to always wear a cloth mask while indoors and outdoors, stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you, Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes frequently.
- 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 with your household members.
- Decorate and carve pumpkins with your household or outside with neighbors or friends. Then, wash and bake pumpkin seeds flavored with pie spice for a snack.
- Hold a Halloween treat hunt with household members.
- Walk from house to house, admiring Halloween decorations at a distance.
- Go on an outdoor Halloween-themed scavenger hunt.
- Visit a one-way, walk-through haunted forest or corn maze.
Last Updated Oct. 9, 2020