Halloween is upon us and only days away, although it will look different this year. Below the Town has provided some Halloween Safety Tips and suggestions for safe activities.
| Halloween Safety Tips | Halloween Activities |
- If you decide to host events, host them outdoors with proper social distancing and mask wearing enforced. Indoor gatherings generally pose more risk than outdoor gatherings. Consider putting a firm cap on the duration of the event and limit the number of guests based on the ability to reduce or limit contact between attendees. Gatherings that include more than 3 households are prohibited.
- Use single use options for food service, avoid self-service options, wash and disinfect reusable items after the event, provide sanitizer for guests.
- If you decide to travel follow all of the advised protocols including wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing in public.
- Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces.
If you choose to take part in outdoor activities: - Avoid direct contact with trick-or treaters by give out treats outdoors, set up a station with individually bagged treats.
- Make your mask part of your costume, a costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
- Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can make breathing more difficult, be mindful of this for children. Children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing should not wear masks.
| 1. Halloween Scavenger Hunt - Put together a list of Halloween-themed things to look for outdoors in your neighborhood. You can even give out prizes to winners!
2. Pumpkin Projects - Show off your skills by carving, painting, or crafting jack-o-lanterns. It can be done with friends and neighbors by organizing a socially distanced yard party
3. Virtual Costume Party - Don't worry, your costume can still be seen! Pick a time and do a virtual costume party or contest to debut your attire.
4. Halloween Scary Movie Night - Introduce your family to all the scary and spooky movies from years past. Add snacks to increase the fun!
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SAN MATEO COUNTY has provided the following graphic to help display Halloween related activities that would be low-risk, moderate-risk or high-risk. To learn more from San Mateo Counties Health Department visit the SMC Health page: tinyurl.com/SMCHealthHalloween
Bay Area health officials released a joint statement, offering guidance on how to celebrate Halloween safely. They want to remind residents that many commonly celebrated Halloween activities carry high risk for spreading COVID-19. Focusing on decorations, limiting activities to the people you live with, and virtual costume parties or contests will help keep our communities safe this season, especially our children. Together, we all need to do as much as we can to protect ourselves and those around us.
For instance, trick-or-treating is a high-risk activity, because it increases contact with people outside of your household who may not be as careful about COVID-19 prevention. Parties are high-risk, because mixing among people who don’t live in the same home introduces more opportunities for the virus to pass from one person to another. Bay Area contact tracing has shown that gathering and mixing are key contributors to infection.
These holidays are no different from the rest of the year when it comes to reducing the spread of COVID-19. Stay home if you feel sick or have come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19; wear a face covering whenever you leave home; and keep your distance from others (even relatives) who don’t live in your household.
San Mateo County residents are reminded that local and state health officer orders are still in effect. Halloween gatherings, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted unless they are conducted in compliance with local and state health orders.
Please read the full joint statement from the Bay Area Health Officials here.