Trick-Or-Treating Sunday Night? Have These Simple COVID Precautions In Place
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Trick-or-treating is back, but health officials still want families to make sure simple COVID precautions are in place.
Dr. Mercedes Carnethon with Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine said everyone should mask up, especially if you welcome trick-or-treaters at the door.
"There's no way to predict the density of children who are going to come together, and there's no way to know which households they're approaching, whether or not those adults are vaccinated or unvaccinated," Dr. Carnethon said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reminds parents that costume masks are not a substitute for a face covering to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
We know the virus is more likely to spread inside, so experts say it's best to say boo to indoor Halloween parties and celebrate outdoors, especially with younger kids who can't be fully vaccinated by the holiday.
"It is not safe to hold an indoor party with a large number of children unmasked. I think not offering food and drink indoors is critically important to keep any type of an indoor gathering safe," Dr. Carnethon said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends:
- Limiting trick or treating to small groups
- Waiting your turn to avoid large clusters while trick or treating
- Practicing good hand hygiene
Talia Cheng can't wait for Halloween. "I'm most looking for lots of skittles and chocolate," the 6-year-old said.
But she knows her peacock costume will have a very important accessory, a mask. "I wear my mask to be safe," Talia said.
"Our daughter will still wear a mask when she's trick-or-treating and we will as well," said Talia's mom, Jessica Colman.