So much is evident in a year which has been frightening enough: Pandemic Halloween is going to be different from typical Halloween. Today, many conventional ways of celebrating the festivities have become more disturbing than usual because now they hold the threat of transmitting the coronavirus.
Up to this day, there is still a significant risk from the coronavirus, but what does that really mean for Halloween? Most definitely, Halloween is not going to be canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak. Unsurprisingly, traditional door-to-door Halloween trick-or-treating, as well as drunken costume parties, are not advised by the CDC. That being said, to help mitigate the transmission of diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising partygoers against joining in such holiday activities. The team has published its 2020 guidelines for the Halloween season COVID-19.
The CDC has divided standard Halloween activities into three groups to put things simpler: lower risk, moderate risk, and higher risk.
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Being on a hayride or truck trip with others who do not belong in your home is often deemed a higher risk. Throughout Halloween celebrations, the CDC even cautions against using alcohol or substances, as this could corrupt your judgment and may result in a rise in reckless behavior.
"Safety modifications to celebrations are nothing new, but this year, the greatest health risk for our families is person-to-person contact and large gatherings that promote the spread of infection," stated Carol A. Winner, MPH, who began the Give Space personal distancing campaign. "Pairing down creatively, with your masks on, can help to protect you and your little goblins," she added.
Organizing an outdoor, open-air Halloween costume show for a small community whereby participants are more than six feet away from each other is included in the moderate-risk activities. Another Halloween activity that made the list was joining a Halloween party held outside where safety masks are being used, and individuals may remain more than six feet apart.
High-risk activities can even be done safely with some modifications. The CDC states that trick or treating would only present as a moderate risk if one particular method is done- with individually packaged goodie bags stacked up for families to pick end of a property whilst remaining at approximately six feet apart. Additionally, it is still necessary to wash your hands with water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after if you're packing the goodie bags yourself.
Moreover, it comes as no surprise that if you have a risk of getting COVID-19, or you might have been introduced to someone with COVID-19, you must not engage in Halloween activities in general or offer trick or treaters candy.
"In public health, you are first taught that you cannot protect the health of others if you are not healthy, and this certainly applies to participation in Halloween activities," she stated. "Kids come with adults, so parents need to assess their risk as well and choose carefully if sharing events with another family or two."
Most of us want to get spooked on Halloween. The possibility of having COVID-19, however, is potentially bringing the fear factor a bit too far.
