How to make trick-or-treating as safe as possible during the pandemic

Trick-or-treating has a few things going it for it already when it comes to COVID-19 safety. It’s predominantly an outdoor activity, and it’s the one time of year kids are actually excited about donning a mask.

But there’s more than ghosts and goblins to fear on Halloween. A recent poll found many Canadians still have high anxiety about door-to-door encounters and possible exposure to COVID-19.

The poll found fewer than half of Canadians (44 per cent) will be opening their doors to trick-or-treaters this year because of the pandemic.

Last year, Ontario recommended that kids in the four COVID-19 hot spots of Toronto, Ottawa, Peel and York Regions refrain from trick-or-treating.

But with higher vaccination rates and waning cases, no such directive is in place this year. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make things safer.

Earlier this month, the province released its guidelines for Halloween and last week Toronto Public Health updated its website to include tips on keeping Halloween as virus-free as possible.

Source (Toronto Public Health):

Staying safe while trick-or-treating

• Stay outdoors as much as possible.
• Make your cloth mask a part of your costume. A costume mask isn’t a substitute for a cloth mask and should not be worn over a cloth mask as it may make it difficult to breathe.
• Keep a two-metre distance from people you don’t live with. Travel with your own household, or a smaller group so you can keep your distance.
• If a street or house looks crowded, wait or try a different less crowded street.
• Wash your hands before enjoying any of your treats.

Safely hand-out treats

• Hand out treats outdoors if possible.
• Wear a mask and wash/sanitize your hands often.
• Use creative ways to keep a two-metre distance from trick-or-treaters.
• Hand out pre-packaged items only.
• Do not hand out treats if you have even one symptom of COVID-19.

Creative and safer alternatives to trick-or-treating

Virtual activities and those with your household are the safest way to celebrate, especially if some people are not fully vaccinated or for those who are at a higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.

• Get dressed up – Organize a virtual costume party to show off your costumes or share photos on social media.
• Decorate – Decorate pumpkins, a Halloween-themed cloth mask, or your house.
• Enjoy a frightening evening at home – Share scary or fun stories, play movies, magic tricks, or a special meal dressed up in costumes with the people you live with.
• Make your own treats – Make and decorate spooky treats.
• Plan a Halloween-style scavenger hunt – Set up a trick-or-treat-style scavenger hunt around your home. Hide spooky items for your children to find.

Rain is expected over the weekend, but CityNews meteorologist Jill Taylor says things should dry out by the time trick-or-treating rolls around.

The forecast for Sunday evening calls for partly cloudy skies and a temperature of 9 degrees across most of the GTA.

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With files from Michael Ranger, The Canadian Press, and Toronto Public Health