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Let’s Celebrate Halloween Safely

Do not participate in any Halloween festivities if you are feeling ill, have symptoms of COVID-19 (even if they are mild), or have been told to isolate. While health and safety measures remain a top priority, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit encourages parents, families, and individuals to participate by decorating as they usually would to create the spirit of Halloween in our community. To celebrate Halloween safely this year, consider the following:

If you plan to trick-or-treat door-to-door this year:

Trick-or-treat from a distance – Although trick-or-treating is an outdoor activity, there are still no zero-risk situations, therefore following the rules of physical distancing will be extremely important. Always stay at least 2 metres (6 feet) away from people outside of your household. This includes waiting for the trick-or-treaters in front of you to collect their treats before proceeding. Do not sing or shout for your treats.

Wear a mask or face covering – Everyone who is participating in trick-or-treating must wear a mask or face covering. Make sure your child’s costume allows them to wear a mask or face covering comfortably. Costume masks are not a substitute for a proper non-medical or medical face covering.

Limit the number of houses you visit – Reduce the number of houses you visit to limit contacts and exposure to COVID-19. Stay in your neighbourhood and limit the number of houses you visit.

Avoid large groups and Halloween parties – Reducing the number of contacts will be critical in preventing the spread of COVID-19 this Halloween. It is recommended families trick-or-treat only with their household members to avoid large groups. If you choose to gather with those outside of your household, consider limiting to only those that are fully vaccinated or keep it outdoors.

Practice frequent hand washing and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer – Make sure your child’s costume allows them to easily wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. We strongly recommend families thoroughly wash their hands before and after trick-or-treating and apply alcohol-based hand sanitizer often throughout the night
Although trick-or-treating indoors is not recommended, if you plan to do so, maintain physical distancing as much as possible and wear a face covering, especially when physical distancing is a challenge.

Handing Out Treats:

• Practice frequent hand washing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer – Before putting out treats and throughout the night, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands. If hand washing is not available, we recommend the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitizer for children to use between houses as some parents may forget to bring theirs. There is no need to clean or disinfect pre-packaged treats.
• Give treats from a distance – Use tongs to hand out candy, a table to spread out treats or other creative ways to share while keeping distance should be a priority. Also, consider sitting outside to avoid the need to open the door or ring the doorbell. Handing out treats at the end of the driveway will make it easy to avoid lineups and potential crowds.
• Provide individual treats and avoid handmade treats – Providing individual and prepackaged treats or individual treat bags will prevent multiple children from dipping their hands into the same bowl, creating a contact-free Halloween!
• Wear a mask or face covering – The most enjoyable part of Halloween is seeing all of the creative costumes and hearing kids say “Trick-or-Treat!” When outside, you must wear a non-medical or medical mask or face covering so you can enjoy the night as safely as possible.
• Place physical distancing markers – Decorating your house for Halloween this year may look slightly different. To promote physical distancing on your driveway, mark out 2 metre (6 feet) spaces using tape for trick-or-treaters to stand while waiting their turn.
• No screaming – If you are decorating your home, avoid anything that may cause kids to scream or cough as this can increase the spread of respiratory droplets. No smoke machines or scary props this Halloween.
• Trick-or-treating is not the only way you can safely celebrate Halloween. Here are some additional ideas for celebrating

Halloween at home:

• Create an at home trick-or-treat hunt – Whether it’s an outdoor backyard or indoor hunt, hide your child’s favourite treats or toys and create your very own at home trick-or-treat hunt! This way children can still celebrate and wear their costumes. Instead of treats, you can also gift your child with something else they will enjoy and that can benefit their health (i.e., healthy snacks, outdoor toys, a Halloween book, etc.).
• Host a virtual costume party – We have all relied on technology to connect with our family and friends this year, so why not do the same to celebrate Halloween? Get dressed up and video-call with family or friends to have a costume contest and make spooky crafts.
• Enjoy a family Halloween night – Spend your Halloween night enjoying time as a family, those in your household, by watching a classic Halloween movie, carving pumpkins, attending a virtual haunted house, decorating spooky treats, and more!
• Deliver treats to family and friends – Spread cheer by delivering a Halloween goodie bag or pumpkin on the doorsteps of friends and loved ones as a contact-free way to celebrate. Ensure that you wash hands when handling any materials and stand back from the doorway.
• Some additional recommendations for safe Halloween gatherings:
• Abide by all measures in the Reopening Ontario Act and follow local restrictions. Visit the health unit’s website for a list of current rules and guidelines.
• Celebrate outdoors whenever possible.
• Keep distance and wear masks when 2m of physical distancing cannot be maintained outside of while eating and drinking.
• Keep your group to the smallest number of people possible as the more people that come to an event the more likely for an exposure to the virus to occur.
• Monitor your guest list to ensure everyone is vaccinated.
• Ask all attendees to complete the online COVID-19 self-assessment honestly, and arrange for alternative lower risk celebrations (such as virtual) if they are not able to attend.

Essex County OPP’s Halloween Safety Tips

First and foremost Essex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) encourages families to follow public health advice and measures from public health experts to help guide your decision for a safe and healthy Halloween.

If your child does head out for the annual trick-or-treating tradition, Essex County OPP has the following safety tips and suggestions for you.

Halloween is one of our favourite traditions, however with the added excitement and distractions of candy and costumes, safety rules may be forgotten. As such Essex County OPP would like to pass on the following safety tips to children, parents and motorists.

• Be Safe, Be Seen! Wear a reflective band, glow stick, use a flashlight and add reflective tape to your treat bag and costume.
• Small children should not go out alone. Try to go out when it is light out and young children should always be with a responsible adult.
• For the older ones, plan your route before you leave your house and ensure your parents know where you are going. Take a cell phone with you.
• Only go to homes that are well lit. There are some families not participating in Halloween so if the home is in darkness pass it by.
• Walk on the sidewalk whenever it is possible. If there is no sidewalk, walk on the side of the road facing traffic. It’s unsafe to cross between parked cars and other obstacles. Do one side of the street before moving over to the other.
• Always look both ways for traffic before crossing the street.
• Avoid eating unwrapped candy and homemade treats from strangers.
• Home owners participating in Halloween trick-or-treating should make sure their home is well lit. Pick up any obstructions such as garden hoses, bicycles, tools or other obstructions that pose a hazard.

If you see suspicious activity or a crime in progress please contact police.

Motorists need to drive slow and be alert, especially in built up areas where children may be. During the excitement of trick or treating, children may dart out in front of traffic. Drivers should also be extra careful when entering and exiting driveways.

Essex County OPP will be providing highly visible patrols throughout Essex County in an effort to keep things safe on Halloween night. If you head out trick-or-treating please don’t forget these tips to stay safe and healthy.