Traditional Halloween activities are fun, but some can increase the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 or influenza.

As you prepare for your Halloween celebrations over the weekend, be sure to keep safety in mind to protect you and your loved ones from COVID-19.

There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you think 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 activity and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

Read this guide on different activities and the risk associated to each of them.

LOWER RISK ACTIVITIES
These lower risk activities can be safe alternatives:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household anknd 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.
• 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
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people can maintain social distancing
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart

HIGHER RISK ACTIVITIES

Avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
• 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
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19

For more information, click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween.
For more ideas on how to have a safe Halloween weekend, click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/halloween.html