halloween

Halloween Safety – 2020

Categories: Well-being

Keep Safe This Halloween!

There’s no doubt that Halloween is going to be different this year. It seems that 2020 has given us more tricks than treats, am I right?! Many of the traditional ways we participate in Halloween are not recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are still safe ways to celebrate this spooky season! Let’s take a look at what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends for Halloween celebrations.

*** If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

Lower Risk Activities

  • 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
Pumpkin carving

Moderate Risk Activities

  • Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)
    • If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
  • Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
  • Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart

High Risk Activities

Avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:

  • 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

For more low, moderate, and high risk Halloween activity guidelines, please click HERE.

Zombies

Time to dress up! What will you be for Halloween?

Face masks are definitely the newest accessory, and you can incorporate them into your Halloween costume with ease. We’ve got some fun, sometimes scary (but always safe) costume ideas!

Safety First:

  • A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
  • Do NOT wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult.
  • Masks should NOT be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing.

Costume ideas that include masks:

  • Healthcare Hero – show your support!
  • Ninja
  • Jack O’Lantern – choose a pumpkin smile face mask, or draw your own
  • Animals – choose a face mask with a fun animal face, or draw your own
  • Ghoul, ghost, or witch with a spooky smile face mask
  • Pirate – draw a mustache or beard on a disposable mask
  • Skeleton – draw two black holes for a nose and a spooky grin
  • Hippie – tie-dye your own cloth face mask and get groovy

Enjoy a Safe & Healthy Halloween

Have a spooky and safe Halloween this year! Tag us in your creative costumes on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @healthywestorange. BOO to you!

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