COVID-Halloween in BC: no parties, wear mask, sanitize doorbell

Friday October 2, 2020 | VICTORIA, BC

by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends

Halloween will be different this year in Canada because of the need to be socially distanced during COVID-19. And it will be different again within BC.

National guidelines for Halloween safety are being developed for all communities and families across Canada, and on October 2, the new COVID-safe Halloween guidelines were posted by BC CDC.

Halloween is an exciting fun event that plays a big part in the fall season calendar for many families. Parents and children are already wondering as to possibilities for a safe Halloween (a concept with all new context during a pandemic).

Restylizing Halloween:

Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry said back on September 12 that “Halloween will happen this year but it will look different,” adding that everything looks (or is) different during the pandemic.

Yesterday she said that the guidelines would be issued next week, but here they are today on the BC CDC website.

Reversing the trend to community Halloween events:

For several years now, the trend has been for parents with young kids to attend large community events for Halloween, instead of walking door to door. That was mostly borne out of safety concerns over the years — not just walking on streets at night but also the unknown safety levels of even packaged snacks given out by strangers.

Community events have eclipsed the popularity door to door trick-or-treating in many neighbourhoods in the last decade. During COVID those sorts of mass gatherings will be impossible, but a revised flavour of walking around neighbourhoods might be revived.

Likewise, hands digging into bowls of treats is no longer possible. That would promote too much possible spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The new Halloween:

Halloween has been shaped by the BC Centre for Disease Control in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They recommend to “celebrate less socially and trick-or-treat locally this Halloween!”

• Skip Halloween parties this year
• Trick or treating in small groups can be a safe and a fun activity
• Get creative in making space when handing out treats

No matter how you celebrate Halloween this year…

1. Turn off your porch light and stay at home if you are sick or self-isolating.
2. Try including a non-medical mask or face covering as part of your costume.
   • Costume masks should not be worn over non-medical masks or face coverings as that may make it difficult to breathe.
3. Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Skip Halloween parties this year:

1. Leave the parties behind.
   • Indoor gatherings, big or small, put people at higher risk of getting COVID-19.
   • Celebrate with your favourite Halloween movie or other traditions that you can do with your household or social group.
2. If you host or attend a small party, keep it within your social group (Stick to six).   
   • You should know everyone who attends, no plus ones.   
   • Follow our guidelines for safer celebrations.   
   • Don’t pass around snacks, drinks, smokes, tokes, and vapes
   • Be more outside, than inside. Keep your space well-ventilated with windows open.   
   • Avoid using props that can cause coughing, such as smoke machines.   
   • Be careful with hand sanitizer and open flames – hand sanitizer is very flammable!

Trick-or-treating can be done safely:

1. Respect homes by staying away if the lights are out.
2. Keep to your local neighbourhood this year.
   • Avoid trick-or-treating in busy areas or indoors (in places like malls) since there may not be enough space to distance. Indoor spaces may require a non-medical mask or face covering.
3. Trick-or-treat in a small social group, stick to six people.
   • Leave space between you and other groups to reduce crowding on stairs and sidewalks.
4. Wash your hands before you go out, when you get home, and before eating treats.
   • Keep hand sanitizer with you if eating treats on the go.
   • You don’t need to clean every treat. You should instead wash your hands after handling treats and not touch your face.

Get creative handing out treats:

1. Get creative!   
   • Use tongs, a baking sheet or make a candy slide to give more space when handing out candy.   
   • Plan to hand out individual treats instead of offering a shared bowl.   
   • Only hand out sealed, pre-packaged treats.
2. Wear a non-medical mask that covers your nose and mouth when handing out treats.   
3. Be more outside, than inside.   
   • If you can, stand outside your door to hand out treats. Then kids won’t need to touch the door or doorbell.   
   • If you’re unable to sit outside to hand out treats, clean and disinfect doorbells and knobs, handrails, and any other high touch surface often during the evening
4. If you are decorating, avoid props that can cause coughing, such as smoke machines.   
5. Stick to the treats – not tricks.