CDC Releases Health Safety Guidelines for Halloween 2020

Halloween can never be canceled, but our favorite day of the year will obviously be quite different in 2020, as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has released their official health recommendations and guidelines regarding the holiday, indicating that trick or treating in its traditional sense is not advised but offering some possible ways to still give kids the experience while practicing safety precautions.

As we know, many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses, and while haunt attractions and parties are out, there are still several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween this year, like virtual costume contests and parades. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in any in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

In light of the recommendations, Jamie Lee Curtis took to social media yesterday to state that she’ll be doing her part to keep Halloween alive this year by hosting a virtual costume parade on her Instagram page all day on October 31st. Her post includes a behind the scenes video from the set of Halloween Kills last year, featuring a massive bucket of blood that the scream queen seems to be having a blast with.

The following lower risk activities can be safe alternatives, as recommended by the CDC:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
• Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house

Moderate risk activities:

• Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)
  • If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
• Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
  • Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
• Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
  • Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.

The CDC recommends that you avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus:

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19

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