The state has rolled out guidelines for celebrating a Pandemic Halloween. While the CDC recommends against going door-to-door for candy amid the Coronavirus era, Governor Andy Beshear believes it can be done safely. “I’ll tell you that our guidance provides a lot more opportunity than the CDC guidance that says don’t do trick-or-treating at all. Listen, I know people are going to do it and so I want to try to give them the best advice on how to do it in the safest possible way.”
During Thursday night’s Coronavirus press briefing, State Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack concurred “Please do it safely.” Stack went on “When you’re out in public wear a mask at all times and no a plastic Batman mask does not count. So if the kids are close to people they should wear their mask underneath their Halloween mask. But you should also stay away from each other. You can put candy out at a distance in ways that don’t use big bowls that people reach into but stretch out the candy. You can put it out on the sidewalk or out on the walkway leading up to your porch or on the porch or on the driveway with a sign that says please take one.”
Other guidelines for a safe Halloween are to trick-or-treat in family groups, wash or sanitize your hands before and after touching wrapped candy, wipe wrapped candy with a sanitizer wipe, stay in your own neighborhood and don’t go out if you are sick.
Some traditions that aren’t recommended this year; costume parties, haunted houses, hayrides, trunk-or-treat or any large gatherings. For houses of worship and other organizations that normally host trunk-or-treat parties for kids, Beshear suggested drive-through costume contests or a socially distanced drive-in-movie. “We’re not asking that those groups don’t do Halloween, just differently. Just safely.”
Click here for a detailed list of Halloween guidance https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/covid19/cv19halloweenguidance.pdf