'Door-To-Door Trick-Or-Treating Is Not Allowed': LA County Releases Guidelines For Halloween
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — No trick-or-treating, no parties, no carnivals and no festivals.
These are just a few of the Halloween traditions put on hold this year in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
"Door-to-door trick-or-treating is not allowed because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors especially in neighborhoods that are popular with trick or treaters," the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in its recently released guidelines. "'Trunk-or-treating' events where children go from car to car instead of door to door to receive treats are also not allowed."
Gatherings or parties with non-household members are not permitted, even if held outdoors, and neither are carnivals, festivals, live entertainment or haunted house attractions.
So what can families do to safely celebrate the spooky holiday?
They can participate in online parties and contests, such as costume or pumpkin carving; car parades that comply with public health guidance for vehicle-based parades; Halloween movie nights at drive-in theaters; Halloween-themed meals at outdoor restaurants; Halloween-themed art installations at an outdoor museum; and decorating homes and yards with Halloween-themed decorations.
Ron Moazzez, who has owned a costume store on Hollywood Boulevard for the last 35 years, said that he thinks people can and should still celebrate.
"People decorate their house, backyard... and [on] Hollywood Boulevard, it's always Halloween," he said. "There doesn't need to be a private party."
Alison Isbell agrees and said she will celebrate the holiday in any way she can.
"Just because people have been kind of stir crazy, pent up at home [with] not much to do, so I would think it would be a big release of fun for everybody and hopefully that's what it is," she said.
As with all activities, participants should be prepared to wear face coverings when outside the home, avoid confined spaces and keep their distance from others, wash or sanitize their hands frequently, clean frequently touched items regularly and stay home if they are sick or have been in contact with someone who is sick.