CHICAGO – City and state leaders hope everything treats and no tricks this weekend for Halloween as they outline safety guidelines for families.
Safety guidelines were released earlier this month, before the second wave of COVID-19 began. But health officials still stand behind them, saying there are safe ways to celebrate Halloween.
Families hope to have some fun this Halloween – even as the pandemic strikes.
City leaders laid out the following Halloween guidelines in this video. They are the same rules that were released weeks ago. But as COVID-19 cases rise – people are questioning whether it is still safe to deceive or treat.
Dr. Pugh Lesofacon is a pediatrician at the University of Chicago Medicine.
He does not recommend the traditional trick-or-treat treat where people go door to door, and take candy directly from strangers. He said that there is always risk, and that there is no such thing as zero risk.
He said: “What may be safer is to have a neighbor or house put a table in front of their house and to have bags individually wrapped so that children can grab and go.”
Another idea? Candy chutes for serving dessert. This limits interactions between people. It’s also important to wear a mask at all times – a real mask, not just your outfit. We also strongly encourage keeping your distance from others and hand sanitizing.
Governor GB Pritzker said: “Please remember that this virus is not an exception to holidays or because you want to take a break from it.”
You’ll want to take some precautions when you get home, too.
There’s no need to sanitize every candy wrapper, but make sure you wash your hands before and after indulging in some of the desserts.
At present, there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID can spread by touching surfaces. It is said you want to wash your hands before opening the candy and after you’ve finished eating and disposing of the wrappers, “said Lesofacon.
If it’s no trick or treat, there’s still a lot of fun in the house. You can carve pumpkins, watch a scary movie, or hide candy around the house for the kids to find.
