Haddonfield Advises Against Halloween Trick-Or-Treating

HADDONFIELD, NJ — Haddonfield has canceled its annual Halloween Parade and is strongly urging residents not to trick-or-treat amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified trick-or-treating as a high-risk activity,” borough officials said in a statement Friday afternoon. “To this end, the New Jersey Department of Health has issued guidance highlighting alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“After much careful consideration of this information, as well as the realities of our Halloween traditions and the concerns expressed by our residents, the Board of Commissioners strongly urges our residents and visitors to refrain from door-to-door trick-or-treating and hosting large gatherings this year. We have also made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Halloween Parade.”

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

Borough officials said these steps have been taken to protect the children and the community as a whole. Residents are advised to review and follow safety guidelines recommended by the NJ Department of Health and the CDC.

As of Friday, there were 120 cases of the coronavirus in Haddonfield, as well as five confirmed deaths. A new report says the risk of the virus in Camden County recently moved from “low” to “moderate.” Read more here: Camden County Passes 11K Coronavirus Cases, Is At ‘Moderate’ Risk

Borough officials said they would provide details on creative ways to celebrate the holiday with friends and family while supporting local businesses.

“We hope these ‘new’ traditions will be embraced as fun and meaningful,” officials said. “As Halloween approaches, we will also share lower-risk activities that you may want to consider for your family or ‘pod’ members on October 31.”

During a news conference on Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy set forth some safety guidelines, which include wearing a cloth or surgical mask beneath their costumes and trick-or-treating only with members of the same household. If trick-or-treating with people in different households, though, he recommended social distancing. Read more here: Gov. Murphy Issues NJ Halloween Rules, Guidance Amid Coronavirus

Here are some rules and guidance Murphy spoke about on Monday:

• In place of placing treats in bags, the candy should be arranged way so that they can be accessed but can't be touched "multiple times."
• Those distributing candy should have treats individually packaged so trick-or-treaters can "grab and go" with no shared bowl.
• Trick-or-treaters and those distributing candy need to wear masks.
• Groups should be limited to household members.
• Groups should stay local.
• Trick-or-treaters should limit the number of homes on their route.
• Social distancing is required for groups who are not all from the same household
• Handing out candy is not recommended.
• Those distributing candy should wash your hands repeatedly.
• Commercially packaged and non-perishable treats are recommended.
• Outdoor trunk-or-treat events can be held, but the number of cars should be limited for social distancing. Lines should be single-file and socially distanced.

With reporting by Tom Davis

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.