Traditional Halloween Activities Discouraged By Loudoun Officials

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County health officials are recommending that residents not participate in traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating this Halloween or other activities that risk transmission of the coronavirus.

People who choose to offer candy should consider setting up a table and placing individually wrapped treats so that multiple people do not have to reach into the same bowl. For trunk-or-treating, create distance between cars by parking in every other space, according to the Loudoun County Health Department.

Halloween activities that are considered high-risk by the health department and are not recommended include:

• Traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door.
• Trick-or-treating at houses where individuals are not wearing a face covering and where 6 feet of physical distance is not maintained between individuals.
• Trunk-or-treating where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots.
• Events that involve large gatherings, such as crowded costume parties held indoors and any events where social distancing is difficult to maintain.
• Indoor haunted houses where people may be crowded together and screaming.

“We all have a role in making Halloween as safe as possible this year by taking precautions that limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Loudoun County Health Director Dr. David Goodfriend said Friday in a statement. “We encourage parents and anyone planning to participate in Halloween-related events to take actions to protect themselves, their children and others from the virus that causes this disease.”

For those who are planning to participate in Halloween events, officials urge people to wash their hands before and during trick-or-treating or handing out candy. People also should wear a cloth face covering under costume masks. Halloween masks may not fit snugly and may not protect against inhaling respiratory droplets from other people, according to the health department.

The health department considers haunted houses to be particularly risky for spreading COVID-19 because they typically involve people screaming, which is known to increase the production of respiratory droplets. Haunted houses that choose to operate must strictly follow Phase 3 Guidelines for Entertainment and Public Amusement settings, the department said.

Loudoun County has put together suggestions for low-risk Halloween activities for families.