UNDATED (WKZO AM/FM) — The coronavirus pandemic has affected a number of holidays from Easter to the 4th of July, and now Halloween could be in jeopardy.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released a list of Halloween activities that are at low, medium, and high-risk for exposure of COVID-19.
Halloween activities that are at a high-risk of spreading COVID-19 include:
- Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
- Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
- Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
- Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19
While some of the lower risk and recommended activities include:
- 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
- Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
- 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
The CDC also states that regular Halloween costume masks are not substitutes for actual cloth masks. For face coverings to work they must be made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face, according to the CDC’s website.
They also recommend Halloween-themed cloth masks instead of costume masks and to never double up on masks or else it will be difficult to breathe.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is expected to further address the upcoming holiday and the risks of trick-or-treating during her next coronavirus press briefing.
