Happy COVID-19 Halloween: Some alternative ways to celebrate

Since COVID-19 came into our lives, the list of what we’ve given up reaches into every corner of our lives -- no visits with friends, except facetime or seated six feet away on the patio. Church is by live stream, shopping is almost exclusively online and when the kids come home from college, we don’t eat together, wear masks and no hugs…for eight months, no hugs!

But we don’t have to give up Halloween, thanks to these suggestions I learned from the Houston Health Department.

Of course, traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is off the table as are Halloween costume parties or any gathering of any size. Why? Because these are both high-risk activities for spreading COVID-19 against the backdrop of another raging wave of the pandemic. Yet, families and children can still have a ghoulish, good time without putting their health and safety at risk. Here’s how:

A safer choice would be one-way trick-or-treating, where individually-wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab-and-go, maintaining a safe, social distance. To do this, set up a table or blanket at the end of your driveway or at the sidewalk in front of your yard.

While this alternative is safer than traditional trick-or-treating, it does come with a moderate risk to transmit the virus. But what about this? We can take simple steps to reduce the risk, like wearing masks and gloves -- make gloves part of your costume, but remember: wearing a Halloween mask offers no protection. Just wear your safety mask under your Halloween mask – or wear your safety mask to protect you instead of your costume mask.Haunted houses and other indoor activities are also high risk for COVID-19 transmission. Safer options for Halloween fun include:

Haunted forests for easier social distancing;

Halloween scavenger hunts or spooky movie nights with household members;

Baking Halloween-themed treats with household members; and

Virtual costume parties.

This bears repeating: a costume mask is not a substitute for a face cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that cover the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.

People should not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it harder to breathe. A safer alternative is using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.

Children and/or adults who may be experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, new loss of taste or smell, and diarrhea, and people exposed to someone who tested positive should not answer the door to trick-or-treaters -- and should NOT go trick-or-treating, a carnival, a party or just hanging out with a group of friends. These folks could be sick and spreading the virus wherever they go.

We all should continue to mask up, social distance, wash hands and get tested to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If you feel sick or have any of the COVID-19 symptoms, get tested for COVID-19.

Want to have a Happy Halloween? Mask up, social distance, wash hands, have fun and if you feel badly and think you have COVID-19, get tested.

Together, we can beat COVID and get our city, state and our nation back on track. In the meantime: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!