Halloween, like seemingly every aspect of daily life, will be different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. There are no legal restrictions on trick-or-treating Oct. 31, but towns are adopting guidelines to facilitate safety and respect for neighbors during the spooky holiday.
In Brick, township officials this week suggested a “lights on, lights off” policy for trick-or-treaters and homeowners to communicate their desire to meet. The same policy has gained traction in communities across the country.
“This system is very simple – if a light is on, that house is participating,” said Mayor John Ducey. “If the light is off, they are not, and continue to the next home.”
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The system will give homeowners who are not comfortable with trick-or-treating during the health crisis a convenient way to respectfully notify people they are not participating.
“It is understandable that some people may choose to not participate in trick-or-treating this year due to concerns about the pandemic,” said Ducey. “Similarly, some people are going to welcome trick-or-treaters. Everyone’s decision is personal and should be respected.”
Brick has no established time for trick-or-treating, however the mayor asked participants to be considerate of neighbors. The township also issued some general tips to follow to ensure Halloween is safe in 2020.
- No one should participate in any activities if they or a household member have a known exposure to COVID-19, are sick or symptomatic, or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have not yet met the criteria for discontinuing isolation.
- Trick-or-treaters should limit their groups to current household members and should practice social distancing
- Wear a face mask. Costume masks are not acceptable substitutes for cloth or disposable masks.
- For people giving out treats, wear a mask when trick-or-treaters come to door and regularly wash and sanitize hands.
- Consider leaving a bowl of treats on the porch or a table where it can be accessed while adhering to social distancing requirements or arrange individually packaged candy so that trick-or-treaters can grab and go without using a shared bowl.
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