Halloween is right around the corner, and this year it falls on a weekend! However, this year we’ve already been faced with our fair share of scary things. We thought by now we would have this virus under control, which means this year’s Halloween is going to be different that’s for sure. Many traditional ways of celebrating are now considered more risky and unsafe than usual, because of the risk of spreading the virus. You might be wondering how you can create a fun evening for your family without putting anybody at risk?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidelines on how to celebrate Halloween safely. Many Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. However, there are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. We here at Hughes Environmental, we help provide a clean and healthy work environment for our customers. We also care about the health and safety of our clients. Therefore, we wanted to share this list from the CDC on some tips and tricks you can do this year to plan for a fun and safe Halloween. These low risk activities are the best ways to keep you and your loved ones safe.
- Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
- Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
- Have a Halloween-themed room decorating contest with the people you live with
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
- Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
- Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
- Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house
- 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.
For those of us who may still be planning on passing our candy or taking their children to go trick-or-treating, please keep these things in mind.
Passing Out Candy:
- 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.
Trick-or-Treating:
- 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
- Bring hand sanitizer with you and use it after touching objects or other people.
- You should be using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Parents: should 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.
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 activities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters. For more tips and tricks on how to plan a safe Halloween, please visit the CDC website.
