With Halloween on Saturday, the popular holiday tradition of Trick-or-Treating remains up in the air for many friends, families, and community members as they calculate the safeness of the spooky celebration during our global pandemic. Before going out, it is always advised to check CDC guidelines, as well as state and local safety laws or regulations put in place to maintain a low risk.
While most activities tend to be high risk right now, there are some lower risk ghoulish alternatives that will still put you in the spirit of Halloween!
Low Risk Activities
- Pumpkin carving with your quaran-team! These are members of your household, or individuals you see often who are following Covid-19 safety regulations
- Spookify your house or apartment with decorations
- Create a Halloween scavenger hunt for your kids! Take them from house to house and see if they can find everything on the list (from a safe distance).
- This can also be done inside your own home!
- Organize a virtual Halloween costume contest
- Have a Halloween movie night with your quaran-team!
- Make a Halloween-themed treat for the family to enjoy.
Medium Risk Activities
- Participate in one-way Trick-or-Treating. Individually wrapped Halloween candy bags can be lined up at the end of a yard or driveway for socially distanced fun!
- If you’re preparing the bags, remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after.
- Organize a small, outdoor costume parade people can enjoy while practicing social distancing
- Go to an outdoor costume party where all participants must wear protective masks
- A costume mask is not a substitute for CDC suggested cloth masks, unless it is made with two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose.
- Do not wear a costume mask over your protective cloth mask as it may be dangerous/too hard to breathe.
- Consider wearing a Halloween-themed cloth mask that offers protection.
- Visit a pumpkin patch where social distancing is enforced, and hand sanitizer is available before and after touching pumpkins.
- Host an outdoor Halloween movie night where social distancing is followed.
High Risk Activities
Prevent the spread of Covid-19 by avoiding these high-risk activities associated with Halloween.
- Traditional Trick-or-Treating where children go door-to-door and are handed treats.
- Trunk-or-Treat, similar to traditional Trick-or-Treating, but treats are handed to children from trunks of cars lined up in parking lots.
- Attending a crowded indoor costume party.
- Going to an indoor haunted house that is not practicing social distancing.
- Avoiding people crowded together, where frightened screaming may occur is advised
- Going on haunted hayrides with groups of people who are not part of your quaran-team.
- Avoid traveling to any fall festivals outside of your own community, particularly if Covid-19 is present in your community.
- Contain the spread, stop the spread
Although Halloween may look different this year for many, it can still be enjoyed in all its eerie glory! For more general safety-related tips and tricks, check our last year’s blog “How To Keep Safe This Halloween.”
If you or someone you have been in contact with is positive for Covid-19, you should avoid in-person Halloween festivities and handing candy out to Trick-or-Treaters.