Like everything else this year, Halloween will have to follow a new set of rules.
Trickortreating, large gatherings discouraged by Bay Area officials
Californians should prepare for “a different type of Halloween” this year, the state’s health secretary told reporters on Tuesday. Dr. Mark Ghaly advised residents to avoid the usual Halloween activities that may put them at higher risk for exposure to the coronavirus.
“The traditional kind of mixing is really not advised,” he said.
While the state prepares official guidelines that will discourage social contact for the holiday during the COVID19 pandemic, Bay Area public health officials have their own contingency plans in place to help people make Halloween feel more safe than scary.
“Trickortreating is strongly discouraged,” because of the risk of surface transmission, according to the city and county of San Francisco’s COVID19 Command Center. Block parties and stoop gatherings should be avoided, too, as it can “be difficult to maintain a distance of 6 feet and have consistent use of facecovering when many households gather on the street.”
Parades, festivals, and haunted houses are also out. Don’t even think about bobbing for apples.
“Since many of the traditions for Halloween increase the risk of COVID19 transmission, we encourage families to find creative and socially distant ways to celebrate,” Joseph Sweiss, the center’s joint information officer, said in a statement to The Chronicle.
San Francisco officials instead suggest “decorating your door, windows, and yard,” wearing masks over your protective face coverings, and moving activities such as pumpkin carving and mask decorating contests online.
“Although outdoor events are much safer than indoor ones, large gatherings of people still increase the risk of infection,” Sweiss said.
While there are currently no specific restrictions beyond the blanket county protocols, that may change as the annual pagan holiday draws near.
Contra Costa County’s Health Services Department also recommends people avoid trickortreating, and get creative at home.
“Gathering in small groups with people from outside your own household is a risky activity that could increase the spread of COVID19 in the community, and trickortreating may also involve coming into highcontact surfaces such as doorbells,” the department said in a statement to The Chronicle.
Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor and researcher with UCSF, said some familiar Halloween traditions can continue if people adhere to established protective measures such as masking, social distancing, and hand sanitizing.
“I would allow trickortreating with the same restrictions in place we are recommending for any setting,” she said. “It has to be with masks and in environments that are not crowded. I would also want the adults answering the door to wear masks.”
Surface transmission, Gandhi said, has become of less concern as epidemiologists learn more about the transmission of SARSCoV2.
“Children need something right now,” she said.
Other Bay Area counties are taking a waitandsee approach to Halloween, as coronavirus case rates in the region continue to fluctuate with wildfires, reopenings, and schools resuming inperson learning.
“Our health officer will consider Halloween safety in the coming weeks, but we have no announcement at this time,” said Preston Merchant, deputy public information officer for San Mateo County’s Health Department.
The Solano County Department of Public Health said it has no information to provide at this time either, according to Administrator Jayleen Richards. Alameda County and Santa Clara County did not provide updates.
“We know this is on the minds of many parents,” said Laine Hendricks, public information officer for Marin County. “We are currently evaluating options for kids to have safe Halloween festivities in a COVID environment, but at this point, we have not issued any formal recommendations or restrictions.”