Forget the usual approach of putting one bowl of candy at your front door and handing it out to children this Halloween.
Instead, mask up and put on some gloves if you’re going to be handing out candy. Make up individual bags of candy that the trick-or-treaters can easily grab and go.
To hand out candy, clean a table and set it up near the sidewalk. Space out the candy on the table as much as possible. Wear your mask and be sure to keep your distance as the trick-or-treaters go by.
Children should trick-or-treat only with other members of their household. They also need to keep a distance of at least six feet between them and other groups of trick-or-treaters.
Everyone should wear a fabric mask with at least two layers. A simple Halloween mask will not be enough to protect from the coronavirus.
Having children wear gloves is a good idea, too.
Avoid crowded neighborhoods or head out earlier to make it easier to achieve social distancing.
Once you get the candy home, consider switching it out with candy from the store. You can quarantine the candy for several days to reduce the risk from the wrappers.
You absolutely do not want to spray your candy with disinfectant.
Survey: What are your plans for Halloween weekend?
What the CDC says about face masks -- a refresher
Here’s a quick refresher on what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about wearing face masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, COVID-19.
From the CDC:
- Face masks help prevent people who have COVID-19, including those who are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, from spreading the virus to others.
- Masks are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings.
- Wide use of masks especially helps protect those at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 as well as workers who frequently come into close contact with other people (e.g., in airports, seaports or other docks, bus terminals, and train stations).
- Using masks along with other preventive measures, including social distancing, frequent hand hygiene, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, is one of the most effective strategies available for reducing COVID-19 transmission.