Safer alternatives to trick-or-treating advised: Wear a costume and enjoy a safe, spooky holiday
COSTUMED. Bardot Montoya (left), Sycamore Ave., a third grader, is Mal of “The Descendants.” Her younger brother, Viper, is a pirate. Or is he a ninja?
Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic does not need to mean “all dressed up and nowhere to go.” Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offer suggestions for how to enjoy a low-risk spooky holiday.
Although not explicitly banned, traditional trick-or-treating and the modern spin-off “trunk-or-treating,” where children receive treats from car-to-car instead of door-to-door, are not recommended. County-wide Halloween gatherings with non-household members are also not permitted, even if they take place outside and have fewer than the three-household maximum allowed by the state.
Keep it online
County officials say that the safest Halloween celebrations include spending time with household members and celebrating virtually. Online activities can include virtual costume and pumpkin carving contests.
Halloween-themed decorations are encouraged, as well as hosting at-home scavenger hunts and a Halloween movie night with household members.
In the car
Drive-by alternatives, including car “costume” contests, drive-through Halloween displays and movie nights at drive-in theaters are allowed. Events where a driver receives a commercially packaged, non-perishable treat bag or items from an organizer while still in the car are also allowed.
Mask details
Cloth masks are still required unless the costume masks are made of two or more layers of fabric that completely cover the mouth and nose region. It is not recommended to wear a costume mask over a cloth mask because that may inhibit breathing.
Outdoors is OK
Officials have condoned safer options that still include leaving the house and neighborhood. It is acceptable to visit Halloween-themed art installations at outdoor museums; eat Halloween-themed meals at outdoor restaurants; and walk around in costume admiring Halloween decorations.
Activities that are labeled “higher risk” include attending indoor costume parties, going to indoor haunted houses and participating in hayrides or tractor rides with non-household members.
Most of all, creativity and caution are recommended this Halloween.
Category: People