Date: 10/22/20
Contact: Commander Tiffany Layson, Public Information Officer
Email: tlayson@coab.us phone: 904-247-5876
While Halloween may look and feel different this year due to the ongoing pandemic, we encourage those participating in trick-or-treating to continue to follow safety precautions. Residents and neighborhoods should follow safe and healthy tips to participate in Halloween activities, so as to limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19.
Consistent with the Halloween activity guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some things to keep in mind in celebrating Halloween this year include:
- Adults and children who don’t feel well, who recently positive tested for COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should stay home and refrain from Halloween activities, including handing out Halloween treats.
- Enjoy Halloween outside rather than attending indoor events.
- Place candy on a platter instead of a bowl.
- Instead of traditional trick-or-treating, opt for one-way trick-or-treating, with treats placed outside of the home for trick-or-treaters as a “grab and go” while keeping distance from others.
- Consider leaving hand sanitizer by any treats left out for trick-or-treaters to use.
- Wear a face mask or face covering.
- A costume mask is not a substitute for a face mask or face covering. To protect yourself and others, ensure you are wearing a protective face mask or covering instead of, or in addition to, a costume mask.
- Refrain from touching your face.
- Decorate your yard for others to enjoy from their car or while on a socially-distanced walk.
- Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet of physical distance from all other participants who are not members of the same household.
Families should avoid the following:
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors, or any gatherings that exceed indoor or outdoor gathering limits;
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming; and
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
Families participating in trick-or-treating should be mindful of the following additional safety tips:
- Ensure that an adult or older, responsible youth is available to supervise children under age 12.
- Plan and discuss the route your trick-or-treaters will follow.
- Instruct children to travel only in familiar areas and along established routes.
- Teach children to stop only at well-lit houses and to never to enter a stranger’s home or garage.
- Establish a time for children to return home.
- Tell children not to eat any treats until they get home. Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before you eat them. Eat only factory-wrapped candy. Avoid eating homemade treats offered by strangers.
- Make sure Halloween costumes are flame-retardant and visible with retro-reflective material.
- Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking in streets if possible.
- Cross streets only at the corner, and never cross between parked vehicles or mid-block.
Tips for motorists:
- Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.
- Look for children crossing the street. They may not be paying attention to traffic and cross the street mid-block or between parked cars.
- Carefully enter and exit driveways.
- Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible – even in the daylight.