Halloween is quickly approaching. What does that look like in 2020? For a majority of the year, we have been told to keep our distance from others. Now, we are coming up on a night where we send the kiddos door to door. Granted, we are in a much different place with the virus in October than we were in March in Nova Scotia.
Yesterday, Dr Strang offered some tips to ensure we have the safest Halloween possible. He also pointed out that a Halloween mask (costume) is not a suitable substitute for a non-medical mask.
➡️do not go trick-or-treating if you are feeling unwell or are self-isolating
➡️only trick-or-treat with people you live with, or friends from your close social group, and no more than 10 people
➡️if you see other kids getting treats from a house or pass another group on the street, stay six feet away and wait until they leave before proceeding
➡️if a house does not have any lights on, Halloween decorations or has a sign saying they are not participating, skip the house and go on to the next house
➡️try to trick-or-treat in outdoor spaces. If that is not possible and you need to trick-or-treat indoors, wear a non-medical mask and adhere to the gathering limits
➡️keep conversations short. Do not sing or shout in exchange for Halloween candy
➡️try not to ring doorbells; instead gently knock on the door
➡️do not take treats in situations where everyone has to reach into a single container
➡️bring hand sanitizer with you and clean your hands often, especially if you are putting on and taking off a mask or face covering and touching high-touch surfaces
➡️wash your hands as soon as you get home
➡️wash your hands before and after handling and eating your treats. There is no need to clean, disinfect or quarantine treats
He also provided some direction for people passing out treats:
➡️do not participate in any Halloween activities, including handing out store bought pre-packaged treats if you are feeling unwell or self-isolating
➡️if you are not participating in trick-or-treating this year, turn off your lights, take down decorations and put up a sign saying you are not participating
➡️if possible, sit on your porch, driveway, front yard or at your front door welcoming trick-or-treaters
➡️if you are unable to sit outside then regularly clean and disinfect doorbells, handrails, door handles
➡️wash your hands often throughout the evening with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
➡️try to have only one person from your household give out treats
➡️do not have many hands reaching into the same container.
➡️Use tongs or other utensils to hand out treats or place individual amounts on a table
➡️wear a non-medical mask when physical distancing cannot be maintained
➡️do not ask trick-or-treaters to sing or shout for their treats
There are some events that could be used as an alternative to Halloween around the Quad Counties that I know about