Q&A: Is it safe to trick-or-treat during the COVID-19 pandemic?
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This Halloween, children may be wearing more than one mask.
Swelling COVID-19 case counts across the country raise the question of whether it is safe to allow children to trick-or-treat and participate in other Halloween-related activities this year.
The AAP recently released safety tips for parents, guardians and children who wish to celebrate the holiday in a fun and safe manner. Healio spoke with Candice Jones, MD, FAAP, an AAP spokesperson and pediatrician in Orlando, Florida, about whether it is safe to have a traditional Halloween this year and different ways families can pursue a safe and happy holiday.
Question: Is it safe to trick-or-treat this year?
Answer: Traditional trick-or-treating this year is considered a high-risk activity for transmission of COVID-19. Kids walking in groups and crowding around doorways are all risky behaviors. So, I’m advising families to get creative and find ways to have fun but be safe this Halloween.
Q: How can parents make it safer for children?
A: If you just can't miss out on trick-or-treating, try to make it safer by keeping your family away from the crowds, keeping your distance at doorways, wearing masks, disinfecting treats before eating them and using hand sanitizer frequently.
Q: Is it safe to do other Halloween- or autumn-related activities, like visiting a haunted house or going on a hayride?
A: Again, these activities tend to draw large crowds and have limited social distancing, making them less safe. Measures like offering private hayrides or visiting an outdoor haunted maze with social distancing would be lower risk.
Q: Are there other activities that parents and children should skip this year?
A: Parents should avoid extended family and friend gatherings at their home for the same reasons. You really need to break those get-togethers into smaller groups and make sure your guests have been following safety guidelines. You also want to be careful with potluck- or buffet-style food options because everyone is touching everything.
Q: Are there alternative ways to celebrate Halloween this year?
A: My family discussed how we could still have fun this Halloween while being safe. We decided to dress up, make ghoulish treats, watch a kid-friendly scary movie and have a scavenger hunt around the house. We also decorated the outside of our home as usual and plan to place individually packaged treats on a table in our driveway for kids who trick-or-treat. Other fun but safe options would be to have a Zoom costume contest, go to a drive-through haunted forest or drive-in movie. The options are endless when you get creative with safety in mind.