Following a few guidelines can slash Halloween’s COVID risk
Last year, officials stopped short of canceling Halloween statewide, but there were some specific recommendations.
The advice, a year ago, was to host virtual events, hold a “candy scavenger hunt” with family members at home and avoid things like parties.
The state advised against Halloween-themed parades where physical distancing could not be maintained and warned of fines if people were caught gathering for large parties.
There are no such restrictions this year.
“We did not release any formal Halloween guidance this year,” said Chris Boyle, spokesperson for the state Department of Public Health.
National public health experts have encouraged celebrating Halloween, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told Fox News, “It’s critically important that we gather, that we be together with family and friends during these holidays.”
That being said, both national and local experts have offered some suggestions on how to have a COVID-safe Halloween.
1. ‘Stay outside’
“The most important thing is to stay outside,” Ohm Deshpande, of Yale New Haven Health, said last week. “Don’t go inside.”
That might mean staying away from haunted houses or, as HealthyChildren.org wrote, making sure to hand out candy in a socially-distanced way. “If you give out treats, consider sitting outside and lining up individually pre-packaged goodies on a table for children to take,” the website states.
“If you’re able to be outdoors, absolutely. Limit crowds. I wouldn’t necessarily go to a crowded — crowded Halloween party, but I think that we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups,” Walensky told CBS.
2. Wash your hands
A study last year showed that the risk of getting COVID from candy wrappers is low, but not zero.
Researchers at UC San Diego had COVID-positive patients purposely cough on wrapped candy, and found viral particles on many wrappers.
“From the candies not washed post-handling, we detected SARS-CoV-2 on 60 percent of candies that were deliberately coughed on, 60 percent of candies normally handled with unwashed hands, but only 10 percent of candies handled after hand washing,” the study states. “We found that treating candy with dishwashing detergent reduced SARS-CoV-2 load by 62.1 percent in comparison to untreated candy.”
Study co-author Rob Knight said that while “the risk of transmission of SARSCoV-2 by surfaces, including candy wrappers, is low, it can be reduced even further by washing your hands with soap before handling the candy and washing the candy with household dishwashing detergent afterwards.”
3. Stay masked, especially in larger groups
That thin, plastic Dracula mask is not going to be enough to protect from COVID-transmission.
“A plastic mask is not going to be sufficient to filter air,” Deshpande said. “I think wearing a real mask is probably wise.”
Though trick-or-treating is usually an outdoor activity, Deshpande advised to “avoid throngs of people crushed elbow-to-elbow.”
The CDC specifically recommends wearing a mask “if you are in public indoor settings if you are not fully vaccinated.”
“You might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission if a member of your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated,” the CDC said, though with the addendum that parents should not put a mask on children under 2 years old.