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Covid Halloween

Fall is here and we know many of you are wondering what Halloween will look like this year. Our health unit (Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit) has provided some guidance and helpful tips we would like to share.

The health unit feels it is still best to plan to celebrate holidays with those in your own household. Consider safer options for celebrating. Here are some suggestions you can try instead of trick-or-treating:

  • an online costume contest with family and friends
  • a neighbourhood Halloween house decoration tour
  • a “haunted trick-or-treat hunt” at home with your household members.
  • an online pumpkin carving contest. Show and tell and choose the most scary, funny, pretty and creative winners.
  • a Halloween Tik Tok or Instagram video of you and your household all dressed up.
  • a spooky Halloween dinner and monster dance with your household with all sorts of creative scary dishes to enjoy.
  • an online haunted house game with family and friends
  • Sharing spooky stories over the phone or zoom.
  • a scavenger hunt on your property with your family.

If you do decide to celebrate outside of the house, like to a pumpkin farm, trick-or-treating or to other activity near your home, it is very important you follow these guidelines:

  • Stay 2 meters apart and don’t congregate or linger around people outside your household,
  • Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer
  • Wear a mask/face covering that fits properly over your nose mouth and chin. A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering.
  • Find creative ways to share treats safely like dropping them off in your friends’ mailboxes, using long tongs if handing to someone outside your household or leaving a surprise Halloween gift basket on a doorstep.
  • If you are thinking about attending a Halloween community event in person, then check to make sure they are following public health precautions to reduce risk, including that the event is outside with lots of space, people are spaced safely apart to avoid close contact with others, everyone is wearing a close fitting face covering/mask, and contact with common surfaces or handling common objects is avoided.

If you are home this Halloween and do not plan to open your door; the Health Unit has provided this POSTER you can put up to avoid any confusion from the little trick-or-treaters who might stop by.

Have a Covid-19 safe Halloween!