Halloween safety extra necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic

Medicine Hat police are reminding the general public as well as trick-or-treaters to take precautions to have a safe and healthy Halloween.

Along with general health guidelines to minimize and avoid physical contact, motorists, homeowners, as well as trick-or-treaters should be aware of general hazards that are present year in and year out.

As always, parents should accompany younger children and discuss routes and general safety with other youngsters.

Those topics should include the safety of travelling in groupings, avoiding entering homes, carrying a flashlight and wearing brightly coloured clothes for visibility on roads and crosswalks.

Motorists are asked to use extra caution and watch for distracted children.

All candy should be inspected by adults, and any opened or suspect items should be discarded.

Alberta Health also suggests limited group of trickor-treating of the sizes of gatherings or parties, avoid going out if feeling ill, not touching doorbells, disinfecting candy and general precautions.

Homeowners are asked not to hand out candy if symptomatic, and otherwise find creative ways to disperse treats that maintains physical distance.

Time change

The annual return to standard time takes place across Alberta at 2 a.m. on Sunday.

Clocks will be set back an hour, and along with a general observance of the change, fire departments state the occasions is a good time to check and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.