Halloween is the perfect time to wear a mask. However, local health experts are reminding Coloradans that the mask has to be more than just scary: it has to help protect you from COVID-19, too.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued guidance earlier this month on the best way to safely celebrate Halloween. Near the top of the list was advice that has become commonplace throughout this pandemic:
- If you’re sick, stay home
- If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, stay home and isolate
- If you’re part of a vulnerable population, consider the risks before socializing with others.
The CDPHE also provided tips specific to trick-or-treating. They advised against door-to-door trick-or-treating because if you’re collecting candy or you’re the one handing it out, “you are unlikely to be able to keep at least 6 feet of distance.”
If you still want to hand out candy on October 31, here are some safer alternatives provided by CDPHE:
- Line up individually wrapped treats at the end of the driveway or yard’s edge. Watch the fun, and enjoy the costumes from a distance.
- Use a plastic slide, cardboard tubes, or plastic pipes to deliver candy from a distance.
- Take kids on an outdoor, distanced treasure hunt to look for candy or Halloween-themed items.
On Tuesday, Governor Jared Polis held a virtual press conference in which he announced he and his family would not be doing traditional trick-or-treating. Instead, the governor said they would be doing trick-or-treating throughout their own home.
“Some people want to go out, and that is fine,” Polis said, before warning to avoid trick-or-treating in large groups. “But if you do it in your home, you can still have fun.”
Of course, masks are important during Halloween. CDPHE recommends wearing non-costume masks when indoors or with people outside your own household. "If wearing a costume mask over a cloth mask makes it hard to breathe, consider a Halloween-themed cloth mask as part of the costume instead," CDPHE said.
