Woburn Officials Still Assessing Halloween Safety, As Cases Mount

WOBURN, MA — Woburn officials are still deciding whether to let Halloween trick-or-treating go forward, Mayor Scott Galvin said on Monday's Today In Woburn.

In response to a question from host Samantha Stone, Galvin noted on the Woburn Public Media Center talk show that the city added at least 16 new coronavirus cases over the weekend, bringing the cumulative case total over 800.

As of Tuesday, the city had 262 people in isolation due to confirmed cases of the virus.

"If things are continuing in this trend, not only in the city of Woburn but in the rest of the commonwealth, Halloween is the least of our concerns," Galvin said. "I know how much it means to kids."

Galvin noted that according to CDC guidelines, traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is one of the highest-risk ways to celebrate the holiday; one alternative is leaving candy out for children to take, without direct interaction.

City officials will make a decision around the middle of October, he said.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.