What precautions should people take when it comes to Halloween this year?

The Department of Health and Community Services says that many Halloween activities can continue safely, with special precautions, provided the number of COVID-19 cases in the province remains low.

Here’s some suggestions from Public Health:

HANDING OUT TREATS

• Ask someone else to hand out treats if you are feeling ill or are self-isolating or place a sign on your door to people to skip your residence.

• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before handing out treats.

• Consider wearing a nonmedical mask when handing out treats.

• Consider wrapping treats in individual bags prior to Halloween night.

• Take responsibility for dropping treats directly into children’s bags to keep children from handling packages in a common bowl or container.

• Consider frequent disinfection of common touch areas (handrails, doorbells, doorknobs, etc.)

TRICK-OR-TREATING

• Don’t participate in trickor-treat activities if you are feeling ill or are self-isolating.

• Children should wash their hands before they leave their home, when they arrive home and prior to eating any treats.

• Be respectful of households that are not handing out treats this year and skip any residence that has a sign on the door.

• Limit your personal contacts by trick-or-treating with people from your bubble.

• Maintain physical distancing with members of other bubbles and take turns visiting residences to avoid mixing with other bubbles.

• Avoid entering indoor porch areas when getting treats.

• Parents or guardians should consider accompanying children for safety reasons as well as to help ensure physical distancing is observed.

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