MOUNT VERNON – Halloween can be a fun family holiday, even in a pandemic. But some precautions are necessary.
The governor's office and the Ohio Department of Health have released guidelines on staying healthy and safe this Halloween.
Beyond re-stating the importance of cloth face-masks and social distancing, the guidelines also strongly suggest avoiding certain seasonal activities such as hay-rides and haunted houses.
Traditional costume masks are advised against. A cloth mask that covers the mouth and nose is required to impede viral spread, and it is recommended the two types of mask aren't layered in case it makes breathing difficult.
For community members who wish to give out candy this year and feel that they are healthy and have a low-risk from the coronavirus, candy should be factory-wrapped rather than homemade. It also should be delivered to the trick-or-treater individually rather than in a communal bowl they grab from— while maintaining distance.
Sound impossible? Suggested creative solutions include making a "candy slide" out of PVC pipe, lining candy spaced out on a table or hanging goody bags along a fence.
Parents, of course, get the fun job. Besides remaining strict about social distancing and limiting the number of houses, the guidelines also ask parents to wipe down each candy wrapper before letting their trick-or-treater enjoy their spoils.
If a house is not participating, "it could be because elderly people live there," Pam Palm, public information officer with Knox Health, told the Mount Vernon News. She shared that she had received multiple calls from concerned citizens, particularly seniors, who felt unsafe participating in trick-or-treat this year but didn't want to be perceived as "mean."
Because activities such as Apple Valley's Trunk-or-Treat have been canceled, the guidelines also lay out possibilities for making this Halloween special. They suggest giving tradition a twist— like having online costume contests where people can dress up in outfits which might otherwise clash with their face-masks. Also, scavenger hunts can be held around the neighborhood while collecting candy, or just around the house.
Additionally, the health department is "trying to work with people so we can do some things," Palm told the News. She is still asking communities and groups that want to organize events to check in with the health department to make sure their plans are as safe as possible.
A post on the Mount Vernon News' website drew a variety of responses, but the majority were in favor of trick-or-treating despite the COVID-19 restrictions.
"My girls are looking forward to trick-or-treating," Tiffanie Breeze wrote. "We are allowing them to go. They are only little once and we can't live in fear. They have their costumes already and can't wait."
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