Ahead Of Halloween, Montco Urges Avoiding Indoor Gatherings

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Halloween 2020 is officially here in Montgomery County, and officials are urging residents to take common sense precautions to avoid exacerbating the fall surge of the virus.

As new cases rapidly rise to levels similar to the height of the pandemic, transmission continues to occur in much the same way: at parties, often inside.

"To those celebrating Halloween tomorrow, please stay safe," a spokesperson for the county shared on Friday. "That means avoiding indoor social gatherings where people will not have masks on, and remember, Halloween masks don’t cut it."

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Cases plummeted in Montgomery County for months after the peak of the pandemic in the spring. Montgomery County did especially well compared to its neighbors, after a brief spike in August. The county's percent positivity rate on all coronavirus tests plummeted to 2.12 percent as recently as Oct. 14, which is the lowest it was since the outbreak began in the local area in March.

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But the fall surge has caused hospitalization rates to go up by more than 50 percent in just the past week, officials report. The virus flourishes in colder air, and it also thrives indoors, where more people go as the weather gets cooler.

For Halloween, residents are urged to avoid large social gatherings, especially where others are not wearing masks or obeying social distancing guidelines.

Trick or treaters should only travel with household contacts, and maintain six feet of distance from others. Always wear a mask, and do not share candy.

Efforts should also be made to avoid touching high-touch surfaces. Don't grab candy from bowls; instead, use the "grab and go" method of taking individually wrapped candies.

Residents are also asked to create one-way routes for trick or treaters to follow.

For more Halloween guidelines in Montgomery County amid coronavirus, see here.