October 20, 2021

Get your Freddy Kruger mask and candy basket ready – trick-or-treating is back on in 2021. In the past year, Halloween was among the events impacted by the COVID-19 health emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that young children should be able to safely go out for Halloween in small groups. “If you’re able to be outdoors, absolutely. Limit crowds. I wouldn’t necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party, but I think that we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups,” Walensky said.

According to the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, “As many adults, and now younger Americans over the age of 12 are getting vaccinated, trick-or-treating outdoors, where the risk for infection is lower, should be safe for young children.”

Here are a few tips for making trick-or-treating safe and healthy:

• Wash your hands frequently and maintain distance from others.
• Only give and accept wrapped or packaged candy.
• If it’s difficult to avoid crowds, adults and children should consider wearing a mask. (Besides the monster and princess masks!)
• Trick-or-treaters should wait until arriving home to consume candy, to avoid removing masks and reducing the risk of COVID-19 exposure.
• Adults should accompany young children and ensure they are respecting appropriate distancing rules.
• Bring extra masks and hand sanitizer.