Page 10 - The Wayne Dispatch

Tips on staying safe from

covid-19 this Halloween

By Carolyn Marnon
The CDC (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention) recently re-
leased information on how to cele-
brate upcoming holidays in ways
which will lower the risk of COVID-
19. It is recommended that safer, al-
ternative ways to celebrate
Halloween are used.
If you have COVID-19 or have
been exposed to someone with
COVID-19, you should not partici-
pate in any in-person activities nor
should you give out candy to trick or
treaters. Stay safe this Halloween.

doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
Moderate risk activities • Do not wear a costume mask
• Participating in one-way trick- over a protective cloth mask because
or-treating where individually it can be dangerous if the costume
wrapped goodie bags are lined up for mask makes it hard to breathe. In-
families to grab and go while contin- stead, consider using a Halloween-
uing to social distance (such as at themed cloth mask.
the end of a driveway or at the edge • Going to an open-air, one-way,
of a yard) walk-through haunted forest where
• If you are preparing goodie appropriate mask use is enforced,
bags, wash your hands with soap and people can remain more than 6
and water for at least 20 seconds be- feet apart
fore and after preparing the bags. • If screaming will likely occur,
• Having a small group, outdoor, greater distancing is advised. The
open-air costume parade where peo- greater the distance, the lower the
ple are distanced more than 6 feet risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
apart • Visiting pumpkin patches or or-
• Attending a costume party held chards where people use hand sani-
outdoors where protective masks tizer before touching pumpkins or
are used and people can remain picking apples, wearing masks is en-
more than 6 feet apart couraged or enforced, and people
• A costume mask (such as for are able to maintain social distanc-
Halloween) is not a substitute for a ing
cloth mask. A costume mask should • Having an outdoor Halloween
not be used unless it is made of two movie night with local family friends
or more layers of breathable fabric
that covers the mouth and nose and See Halloween, page 16

10 · October 2020 · The Wayne Dispatch