Westwood BOH Offers Tips For Halloween During Pandemic

WESTWOOD, MA —Westwood's Board of Health is offering tips to keep trick-or-treaters safe from the coronavirus while allowing them to enjoy Halloween.

In a statement to the community, the board warned residents that trick-or-treating may increase their risk of contracting COVID-19 and that Westwood is deemed a "moderate risk" for the virus, according to the state Department of Public Health. The moderate risk designation means the town has an average COVID-19 case count of between 4-8 per 100,000 people and a percent positive test rate around 1.0.

Westwood has reported 176 COVID-19 cases as of Oct. 7.

"Being that case counts fluctuate, it is difficult to look forward and predict what our case count or percent positivity rate will be at the end of October 2020. With that in mind, at this time we can only advise residents to participate in activities designated as “Lower risk” by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in their Fall Holiday Celebrations Guidance," the Board of Health said.

Among the tips the board offered were wearing face masks, aside from Halloween costume masks, frequently washing your hands and trick-or-treating only within your immediate family, rather than forming groups.

For those planning on giving out candy, the board recommends placing treats at the end of your walkway or driveway instead of handing them to trick-or-treaters.

"As a final reminder, if you are going to be out at dusk on Halloween or any evening until the first frost you should use an approved insect repellent to protect your selves from mosquito bites," the board said.