Safe Halloween guidelines

Lynnfield supports safe trick-or-treating.

Residents are advised to take the following precautions from the Department of Public Health if they choose to trick-or-treat this year:

• Enjoy Halloween outside rather than attending indoor events.

• Place candy on a platter instead of a bowl

• Instead of traditional trick or treating, opt for one-way trick-or-treating, with treats placed outside of the home for trick-or-treaters as a “grab and go” while keeping distance from others.

• Wear a face mask or face covering. For more information on face masks and face coverings, please see the state’s Mask Up MA webpage.

• A costume mask is not a substitute for a face mask or face covering. To protect yourself and others, ensure you are wearing a protective face mask or covering instead of or in addition to a costume mask.

• Observe good hand hygiene, including hand washing and use of alcohol-based sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol. Carry hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces and before eating candy.

• Refrain from touching your face.

• Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet of physical distance from all other participants who are not members of the same household.

Those who do not wish to participate in Trick-or-Treat are asked to shut off their outdoor lights as an indicator.

Lynnfield residents should avoid:

• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors, or any gatherings that exceed indoor or outdoor gathering limits

• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming

• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.

• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming

• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors

If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists several low risk alternative activities that community members can take part in for Halloween.

Low risk alternatives include:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them, or at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends

• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space

• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance

• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest

• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with

• Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house.

LINKS:

https://www.mass.gov/news/halloween-during-covid-19

https://www.mass.gov/news/mask-up-ma

https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/index.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html