2020 Halloween Safety Tips
Posted By: Greg T. | Date Posted: Apr 22, 2021
This Halloween will be like no other we’ve experienced. Forget your fears of haunted houses and horror films, COVID-19 is an additional factor for fright this season.
So, what’s the best way to keep your family safe during Halloween in a pandemic? We’re exploring the extra precautions you should be taking as well as creative ways to celebrate if you’re unable to practice your usual traditions.
Trick-or-Treating
Even though it’s the most popular Halloween custom, trick-or-treating presents many risks during a pandemic. Many people are concerned about their children going door to door to pick up candy, even with a mask, when COVID-19 spreads so easily.
Some parishes and counties have already called off their annual trick-or-treat hours to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in areas that still have a high number of active cases.
There will still be many families interested in trick-or-treating on Halloween, though. As long as your community does not ban trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, there are ways to make the practice safer for you and your family.
In general, trick-or-treating is safer with regard to COVID-19 than other Halloween customs, like house parties, because trick-or-treaters spend the majority of their time outside in smaller groups. The risk factor of COVID-19 increases as more people become involved.
In areas where the threat of the virus is lower, trick-or-treating can be safe as long as CDC guidelines are followed. If you plan to trick-or-treat, practice social distancing from other people who are not members of your family, keep your hands clean with sanitizer, and wear a mask to protect your friends and neighbors.
Scientists have determined that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from surfaces, like a piece of candy, are significantly lower than interacting with other people who may have come into contact with the virus. This means that your best prevention is to keep your trick-or-treating party small and limit your interactions with people outside of your immediate family.
On the other side of trick-or-treating, households that plan to give out candy on Halloween can help make the tradition safer as well. Limit face-to-face exposure with trick-or-treaters and keep your hands clean. You also have the option of setting out a candy bowl, but experts are not recommending this because placing multiple hands into one bowl creates an environment for more germs to build up.
A few creative ideas have emerged as safer ways to give out Halloween candy for trick-or-treating. Some people have created their own candy chutes out of household items like cardboard tubes to create a touch-free trick-or-treat experience. These chutes allow for 6-foot social distancing measures between yourself and trick-or-treaters.
Halloween Attractions
Some of your favorite Halloween attractions may not be open to the public this year, and the ones that do will almost certainly have additional precautions to follow social distancing and mask guidelines.
Check with the business or organization you are planning to visit beforehand to be aware of any rules. Masks may be required at places like haunted houses, hay rides, and corn mazes. Also, you may experience longer wait times due to max occupancy restrictions to support social distancing.
The best practice will be to continue to follow general precautions like maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask, and keeping your hands clean.
Halloween Parties
Experts almost unanimously agree that indoor Halloween parties present unnecessary risks for all people involved. It’s much more difficult to practice social distancing indoors. Even if the party is family-only, someone could have been exposed to COVID-19, and the risk of transmission is much greater in an indoor environment.
Outdoor parties and bonfires are recommended as an alternative, especially if everyone invited to your party is able to practice social distancing. Check your local COVID-19 restrictions before planning a Halloween bash, though, to make sure you are following recommended precautions. For example, your state may recommend you limit congregated groups to 10 people. Smaller group sizes are suggested for communities that still have a high number of active COVID-19 cases, and therefore a higher risk factor.
Creative Halloween Ideas
Are you planning to find new ways to celebrate Halloween this year without leaving home? There are countless suggestions of fun Halloween activities that you can plan for your family.
Pumpkin Carving Contest
Host a pumpkin carving contest for your family at home. If you’re feeling social, invite other family members and friends to join you through a video chatting software! You can listen to music and share scary stories while creating your pumpkin masterpieces and then have a vote on the best Jack-O-Lantern.
Candy Search at Home
Love decorating your home for Halloween? Set up a candy search for your kids inside or outside among all of your Halloween décor. Similar to an Easter Egg Hunt, this is a fun way to trick-or-treat at home.
Halloween Movie Marathon
This one is most likely already on the calendar, but you can make it into a prime Halloween night activity with a scary movie lineup and homemade treats!
Reverse Trick-or-Treating
If you’re not planning to trick-or-treat this year but still want to share goodies with your friends and neighbors, consider dropping off treats on their doorsteps. You can easily make this into an event with your family to create fun goodie packages and deliver them to anyone on your list.
Even though this Halloween will be one for the history books, there are still a lot of ways you and your family can have fun celebrating the spookiest season. No matter how you plan to have fun, follow basic precautions to keep everyone safe and have a happy Halloween!