There are risks to Halloween this year due to COVID-19, so we need to celebrate carefully. When making your plans, think about ways to reduce your risks. Here are some tips, tricks, and suggestions for a safe and spook-tacular Halloween.
SAFE
Staying home with members of your household
Suggestions:
Have a virtual costume party.
Have a Halloween Hunt - think Easter Egg Hunt, but Halloween treats. Hide them throughout your home for your children to find.
Get some favourite treats and watch a spooky movie together.
Decorate your home inside and out.
USE CAUTION
If you are trick-or-treating
Stay home if you're sick (even mild symptoms).
Only trick-or-treat outside.
Wear a mask at all times and use hand sanitizer often.
Only go out with members of your household and stay two metres apart from everyone else.
Avoid crowding (e.g. on sidewalks, at doors, chatting with other parents while waiting for children).
Stay in your neighbourhood and go to fewer houses.
Respect houses that signal they are not participating in trick-or-treating (e.g. their lights are off, they've posted a sign, etc.)
If you are handing out treats
Do not hand out treats if you're sick (even mild symptoms).
Wear a mask at all times and use hand sanitizer often.
Do not hand treats directly to trick-or-treaters. Use an object to hand out treats so you maintain two metres distance. Get creative! Use a hockey stick, a witch's broom, or slide the treat down a tube.
Consider placing individual treats outside (e.g. along your laneway, porch, front lawn, etc.) for trick-or-treaters to take without having to get too close to anyone else or touch other treats.
Do not put out a bowl full of treats for trick-or-treaters to take from that requires them to touch multiple treats.
Encourage trick-or-treaters to keep two metres apart from each other using markers on the ground. How about spacing pumpkins two metres apart or posting a spooky sign?
If possible, avoid having trick-or-treaters come up to your door by staying outside. If not possible, sanitize high-touch surfaces like your doorbell frequently.
UNSAFE
Gathering inside or coming into close contact with anyone who is not part of your household.
Do not have in-person Halloween parties - take it virtual.
Do not go outside or hand out treats if you're sick (even mild symptoms).
Do not go trick-or-treating with anyone who is not part of your household.
Do not gather with anyone outside of your household (e.g. on sidewalks, while walking, while waiting to get treats).
