Madison County Health Department released best practices for Halloween and Trick-or-Treating.
“We know many families want to go out and go trick-or-treating this Halloween, so here at the Health Department we put together some best practices to help people celebrate safely,” said Madison County Public Health Director Eric Faisst. “Currently the infection rate in Madison County, as it has been for weeks now, is well below 1 percent. People should still be diligent and know that the virus is still out there. Should you decide to go out for Halloween, we strongly encourage you to follow these best practices to do so safely.”
If you do go trick-or-treating, keep these best practices in mind:
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Keep your trick-or-treating group small with family or close friends.
- Remain six feet apart from other trick-or-treaters outside your group.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wear a face covering over mouth and nose. A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth face covering. Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. It can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe.
- Wash your hands after unwrapping candy and before eating it.
If you are passing out candy:
- Do not hand out candy if you are sick.
- Wear a face covering over mouth and nose.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Consider alternative ways to hand out candy, such as a drive-by or leaving candy spread out on a disinfected table.
- If participating in handing out candy from your front door:
- Use duct tape or chalk to mark six-foot increments approaching your home.
- Position a distribution table between yourself and trick-or-treaters.
- Creating grab-and-go candy bags instead of a communal bowl.
If you are not comfortable handing out candy, turn off your lights.
For a full list of best practices, visit madisoncounty.ny.gov/2642/Halloween-Best-Practices.