Halloween In IL: Avoid 'High Risk' Trick-Or-Treating, CDC Says

ILLINOIS — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says traditional trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating, parties, hayrides and haunted houses should be avoided this Halloween, but numerous Chicago-area towns have already announced they will allow trick-or-treating this year.

The CDC late Monday released its guidance for the holiday, and the news for Halloween lovers is grim.

"Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses," the CDC warned. Authorities suggest sticking to low-risk activities done by those in the same household, and mostly at home.

"Celebrating virtually or with members of your own household poses low risk for spread," the agency posted on its website Monday.

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The CDC cautioned that those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 "should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters."

But several Illinois communities have recently announced their will permit trick-or-treating, including Joliet, Manhattan, Oak Forest and Cary. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Another town — Buffalo Grove — isn't banning trick-or-treating but is advising residents against going door to door.

Despite plans for Halloween fun in Illinois, the CDC says people should avoid high-risk Halloween activities, which include:

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where candy is handed to children who go door to door.
• Having trunk-or-treat activities, where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots.
• 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.
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors.
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19.

During phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, gatherings of up to 50 are allowed, so some Halloween parties will likely be permitted, despite guidance from the CDC. With indoor dining and bar service currently allowed, Halloween events and even indoor haunted houses will also likely be permitted in Illinois unless coronavirus infection numbers push the state back to phase 3.

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Lower-risk alternatives

The CDC said there are options for medium- and low-risk Halloween fun, but it points out that "screaming" — in glee or fright — is not uncommon on Halloween and is of particular concern for those without masks.

A safer — though still "moderate risk" — way to trick-or-treat is "one-way" trick-or-treating, where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up at the end of a driveway or yard for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance.

The CDC said that if folks choose that route, when preparing treat bags, people should, "wash hands before and after making the bags."

Another "moderate risk" option, it says, is to have a "small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart." The CDC says people can attend a "costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart."

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Importantly, authorities say, a costume mask is "not a substitute for a cloth mask."

"A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face," the CDC said. "Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask."

Other activities considered to be "moderate risk":

• Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, the wearing of masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing.
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family or friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart.
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.

Lowest-risk activities:

These lower-risk activities can be safe alternatives:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them.
• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, 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 and enjoying 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.

By Ellyn Santiago, Patch Staff. Shannon Antinori, Patch Staff, contributed.