Halloween Safety Tips During COVID-19
The spookiest thing about this year’s Halloween festivities may be the uninvited guest that arrives. We’re referring to COVID-19.
Short of burying your head under the covers and staying home, there are plenty of steps you can take to protect both you and your family members from the virus. Follow these Halloween safety tips to establish new, healthier holiday traditions. Or, if that’s not possible, you can at least add some safe new twists to your usual Halloween festivities.
How to Celebrate a COVID-19 Safe Halloween
No matter how you plan to celebrate, make sure you don’t take a holiday from the usual safety precautions. Continue to follow these and other COVID-19 Halloween safety tips recommended by the CDC:
- Wash hands frequently
- Wear cloth masks
- Maintain safe social distancing
- Avoid large gatherings
Other Ways to Ensure a COVID-19 Safe Halloween
In addition to the same precautions you’ve been following all along, consider adding some Halloween-specific safeguards. If you live in a COVID-19 hotspot, for example, you may want to consider postponing events until after the spike, or even canceling Halloween activities altogether this year.
Even in relatively low-risk areas, it’s still important to ensure Halloween safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. Why not forego your usual in-person party, and instead, show off your costume via a virtual video party with close friends. Or, you can host an outdoor costume parade with all participants maintaining a safe social distance.
For kids, rev up the fun with a family celebration at home, such as a scavenger hunt or a spooky movie night. A variation on this theme would be to have your kids invite friends to join them virtually, simultaneously watching a film and safely trading comments and screams.
This year, as always, costumes can be an important Halloween tradition. It’s okay to allow kids to dress up, but instead of trick or treating door-to-door, why not take them on a walk through the neighborhood to enjoy the festive holiday decorations.
When planning costumes, keep in mind, Halloween masks are no substitute for a cloth face covering, unless they offer multiple layers of protection and fit snugly over the mouth and nose. Make mask-wearing more fun this season by encouraging your kids to don cloth face masks with Halloween themes.
Another relatively safe way to celebrate is by participating in outdoor Halloween activities, such as pumpkin carving, navigating a corn maze, or visiting a haunted forest or some other place where kids can maintain a safe distance from others. Steer clear of conventional, indoor haunted houses and hayrides involving people outside your household.
If your kids trick or treat, take time to wipe down any items they collect. Or, you can simply leave these items sitting out for a few days before your kids consume them. If you’re the one handing out the treats, line up individual, pre-packed goodie bags at the end of a long driveway or along the edge of your yard. (Don’t forget to wash your hands before preparing the bags.) You can then greet trick or treaters from a safe distance, while wearing a cloth face mask.
What Not to Do for a COVID-19 Safe Halloween
Don’t double up a cloth face mask with a Halloween mask, as this can create breathing difficulties. Nor should you paint a cloth face mask, as the paint may contain toxins that are harmful to breathe.
When hosting events, reduce opportunities for infection by limiting the number of guests and not allowing them to linger indefinitely. Ideally, invite only guests who live in the immediate geographic area and make sure they have been following the CDC’s safe guidelines prior to your event. Anyone who has recently been exposed to COVID-19, or who is at a high risk for developing the virus, should not attend.
Additional COVID-19 Halloween Safety Tips from the CDC
When attending events where screaming might occur, greater social distancing is advised. You may also want to avoid certain high risk Halloween activities altogether, such as:
- Traditional trick or treating where treats are handed out at the door
- Large, indoor costume parties
- Tractor rides, hayrides, or apple-picking with people outside your own household
- Combining Halloween activities with drugs or alcohol, which may cloud judgment and lead to risky behaviors
We hope you follow these COVID-19 Halloween safety tips and have a happy, healthy celebration. However, if you have an emergency requiring medical attention, or need COVID-19 testing either before or after an event, rest assured, we’re here for you. For accidents, illnesses, or injuries, simply walk in to one of our convenient Florida locations. For COVID-19 evaluations, appointments are strongly encouraged.