The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines for safely celebrating Halloween amid the global coronavirus pandemic. The agency is advising people to avoid high-risk activities, including trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating, indoor costume parties, and haunted houses.
"Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween," the agency wrote.
Those safer alternatives include carving pumpkins with members of your family, decorating your home, hosting a virtual Halloween costume contest, or organizing a scavenger hunt where social distancing guidelines can be followed.
The agency also suggested a few activities that are considered a "moderate risk" of spreading COVID-19. While going door-to-door to collect candy is out, the CDC noted that homeowners could line up individually wrapped goodie bags for costumed children to grab. Other activities include an outdoor haunted forest, a small costume parade where marchers remain six feet apart, and an outdoor movie night with your neighbors.
If you do plan on going and wearing a costume, the CDC warned that a costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask and that you should "not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe."
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