Safe Trick-or-Treating

Halloween is always fun. You get to play dress up, no matter your age. You get to buy candy and enjoy partaking in a few pieces as you pass it out. You get to see all the creative costumes and relish in a fall tradition.

This year, Halloween is completely up in the air.

COVID-19 doesn’t follow a schedule. It doesn’t care about business, family or holidays. It’s not going anywhere. So the best we can do to fight the virus is educate ourselves, consider others and follow safety precautions to the best of our ability.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers trick-or-treating a high-risk activity. If the kids are trick-or-treating this year, here are a few safety reminders.

• We don’t know all the facts about the novel coronavirus, including infection risk from candy that is passed out. So if the kids’ collect candy or nonedible Halloween treats, let it sit for a couple of days before going through it.
• Follow the 6 feet social distancing rule and avoid large groups.
• Wear cloth face coverings and make them part of the costume.
• Use hand sanitizer often.
• Avoid homes where the person passing out candy is not wearing a mask or taking any precautions.

Finally, and most importantly, know that the biggest risk associated with trick-or-treating is not in the candy but in spending a prolonged amount of time in close contact with others that don’t live in your household.

Read the CDC’s holiday celebration information here.