Tips for safely participating in Halloween during a pandemic

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With Halloween coming up on Saturday, many families are wondering how to safely participate in trick-or-treat during a pandemic. It's an especially urgent question for families in rural areas, where infection rates are higher and rising. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of recommended low- and moderate-risk activities, as well as a list of activities to avoid.

One important note first, though: The CDC warns that a costume mask isn't a substitute for a protective cloth mask, and suggests incorporating a Halloween-themed cloth mask into your child's costume. It warns that a costume mask shouldn't be worn over a protective cloth mask, since it can make it hard for children to breathe.

For those in high-risk areas, here are some low-risk activities that don't require you to interact closely with others:

• Carving or painting pumpkins
• Decorating your home
• An outdoor scavenger hunt where children look for Halloween- or autumn-themed items while staying on the sidewalk
• An indoor scavenger hunt or candy search in your home
• A virtual costume contest
• A Halloween movie night with the family—don't forget the candy!

Here are some activities the CDC recommends as moderate-risk, appropriate for those who live in lower-risk areas:

• Socially-distanced trick-or-treating, where individually wrapped goody bags are lined up at the edge of a yard or driveway (not in a bowl where many hands will leave germs). Those preparing goody bags should wash their hands thoroughly beforehand.
• A small, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people stay at least six feet apart
• An open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest with people staying more than six feet apart and appropriate mask usage enforced
• Visiting a pumpkin patch or orchard with plenty of hand sanitizer, social distancing, and protective masks
• An outdoor Halloween movie night with, of course, everyone at least six feet apart. If the movie is likely to make people scream, the CDC advises distancing people more than six feet, since screaming can propel germs further into the surrounding space.

The CDC recommends people avoid these high-risk activities:

• Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating
• Trunk-or-treat parties in parking lots
• Crowded costume parties indoors
• Indoor haunted houses where people may be crowded together and screaming
• Hayrides or tractor rides with people who aren't in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors
• Going to a rural fall festival outside of your community, if you live in a high-risk area