By Emma Braithwaite, Staff Writer
Going door to door, collecting candy, and dressing up as your favorite movie or TV character is what makes Halloween one of the most exciting nights of the year. People of all ages look forward to this event, but due to Covid-19, Halloween will be celebrated a little differently this year.
Covid and most Halloween festivities don’t mix very well. Normal trick-or-treating requires you to get within six feet of people to collect candy which has already been handled. Other activities such as haunted houses and Halloween parties involve large indoor gatherings of people and minimal social distancing.
While these activities are not recommended due to Covid, there are different ways to still have fun on Halloween.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services provides guidance on how to stay safe on Halloween. The full list can be found here.
“It is strongly recommended that alternative Halloween activities be increased as much as possible,” the NC Department of Health and Human Services said on their list.
Carving pumpkins, virtual costume contests, socially distanced trick-or-treating, outdoor Halloween parties with masks and social distancing are all examples of lower-risk activities.
High-risk activities such as traditional trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treats, and large indoor parties are not recommended.
“It’s going to be a weird year because there used to be all those trunk-or-treats,” Kill Devil Hills Mayor Ben Sproul said. “I don’t think any of those are happening.”
When issuing guidance to the public, Sproul closely follows the CDC guidelines. His town is one of the most popular Halloween spots on the Outer Banks thanks to neighborhoods that love putting on huge displays.
“I’ve been telling most people that the CDC put out this great list of things that you can do that are relatively safe things and things that are probably a bad idea,” Sproul said.
When deciding what to do for Halloween, people are encouraged to think before putting themselves in situations that could lead to an outbreak of the virus. For those who plan on continuing their normal Halloween plans like trick-or-treating, they should wear a mask and practice social distancing and minimal contact when going house to house.
“Spread out, wash your hands, and don’t think that your costume is the same as a mask,” Sproul said. “They’re probably not as good at doing what they need as a normal mask.”
Whether students anticipate trick-or-treating, having a Halloween party, or just handing out candy at their house, follow the guidelines, and stay safe.
“I want to remind everybody, ‘Hey, it’s still here,’ ” Sproul said of the virus. “It’s not going away. You never know where it is. We can’t let our guard down.”
Sophomore Emma Braithwaite can be reached at 23braithwaiteem06@daretolearn.org.
