Trick-or-treaters on the downtown square / Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
The Fayetteville Board of Health this week issued a set of guidelines that discourages traditional trick-or-treating and other high-risk activities that could lead to community spread of COVID-19 this Halloween season.
The guidelines include activities that should be avoided, but also list several alternatives for a safe holiday.
Activities to avoid:
- Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
- Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
- Going to a haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
Safe alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating:
- Small group, outdoor costume parades
- Outdoor pumpkin carving/decorating while social distancing
- Halloween scavenger hunt with lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while walking in a neighborhood
- Having an Easter egg hunt-style trick-or-treat search
For those who still want to trick-or-treat:
- Ensure all pedestrian traffic flows in the same direction
- Only trick-or-treat with members of the same household
- Wear a mask (see below) and maintain social distancing of at least six feet
- Individually wrapped goodie bags or treats should be lined up for families to grab and go at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard
- If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags
Tips for the safe use of masks:
- A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask
- A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose
- Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe
- Consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask
