You can celebrate the spooky holiday while staying aware of COVID
by Oliviyah Thornton, GHS Blue Ink
With Halloween just around the corner, it leaves people wondering about what they can do during this Halloween season, how to stay safe, or even what kind of costumes they could wear. Halloween may be looking different this year but there are still plenty of fun, safe and creative ideas to have fun with friends and family.
SAFETY MEASURES TO KEEP IN MIND
Thinking about hosting a Halloween party?
When considering having a party, a host should follow the CDC tips for gatherings. A few tips are having as many of the activities outdoors instead of indoors, but if the party has to be held indoors avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, and fully enclosed indoor spaces. If this is not possible, consider increasing ventilation by opening windows and doors if weather permits.
Try to keep invites to a minimum and stay with invites to residents. Keep updated on COVID-19 cases and rules, and provide this information to the guests. Have the necessary rules set in place to keep them safe such as require masks at the gathering and encourage others to bring extra just in case someone forgets. It is also recommended to have plenty of sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol, and tissues. Implement social distancing as much as possible.
Planning on attending a Halloween gathering?
Hosting and attending go hand in hand. If attending, follow the CDC considerations for attending an event or gathering. If you are going in person, the CDC recommend attending only outdoor events but if it is an indoor event, avoid crowded, poorly ventilated, and fully enclosed indoor spaces and, if possible, increase the ventilation if there is little of it.
Contact the host about their plans to keep their guests safe and the rules they have implemented, bring hand sanitizer, wear and bring extra masks, and tissues. Do not swap masks with anyone.
Social distance from others who don’t live in the same household and limit close contact. Try to avoid using the bathrooms in incidents like these and limit the number of times activities involve the mask being taken off such as eating or drinking.
Whether attending or hosting, remember to properly wash down surfaces that were touched, wash and sanitize hands, and wash clothing that was worn at the event.
If there is a concern of exposure to someone with COVID-19, consider quarantining for 14 days and get tested for the virus.
HALLOWEEN SAFETY WITH COSTUMES
When wearing a costume, do not use the costume mask to replace a cloth mask unless it has two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t have gaps.
It’s also important to keep in mind wearing a costume that implements wearing a mask. Wearing a cloth mask and a costume mask at the same time can be dangerous because it will make it hard to breathe. During Halloween, attempt to limit contact with commonly touched surfaces, shared items, and touching people who don’t live in the same household.
Costume Ideas
An idea for costumes for this Halloween season include dressing up as Among Us characters. This way, friend-groups can easily dress up together. Other ideas are dressing up as doctors, nurses, really anyone in the medical field. By dressing up in medical costumes, masks can easily be implemented.
Another option is to dress up as a person on the biohazard cleaning crew. Dress from head to toe in biohazard equipment.
Wear regular scaring masks such as characters from Scream, Friday the 13th, Halloween, etc. Thinking of costumes that can easily have cloth masks implemented, can help with staying safe from COVID-19.
Trick-or-Treat Alternatives
Instead of going trick or treating, there are plenty of other fun, low-risk ideas to consider. It just takes some creativity and an open mind. Here are a few ideas to keep the spirit of the spooky season still alive and fun.
One idea is to host a virtual costume Halloween party. Host a virtual meeting with friends and family and participate in costume competitions, dress up, dancing, singing/karaoke, parade around the house, watch movies together/movie night, etc.
Another fun idea is to participate in Halloween’s oldest tradition, decorating and carving pumpkins. This gives a chance for hosting an outdoor and social distancing activity. Friends can come over and participate in a carving pumpkins competition or another option is to hold it virtually as well.
Making fun and tasty treats is also an option to replace trick or treaty. Make creative Halloween-themed cookies or treats or find new recipes to try out to give a yummy experience.
Setting up candy hide-and-seek can offer another activity instead of a trick or treating. Just like Easter with hiding candy eggs, the same can be done with wrapping up candy goody bags and hiding them throughout the house or yard. Changing it up a bit, it can be turned into a scavenger hunt full of clues of where the next bag of candy is hidden.
Go crazy with decorations this year. Christmas isn’t the only holiday where decorating is allowed.
Taking ideas from others, here are a few from teachers and students who share what they plan on doing for Halloween this year.
Molly Hulscher: "Eat candy."
Gabe Johnson: "For this Halloween I plan on visiting a bunch of haunted houses and maybe watching a horror movie with some of my friends, and probably sitting by a bonfire with people that are close to me."
Sarah Welch: "Going to a cattle show."
Mr. Huemiller: "I plan on watching some of my favorite scary movies with a couple of friends and maybe hand out candy to trick or treaters!”
Mrs. Stoltenberg: "Since Halloween is on a Saturday, hopefully I will travel to see my grandkids in their costumes. I don’t know if their town will be having the usual trick-or-treating, but I’m sure we’ll take them at least to friends’ houses.”
Adair Hanisch: “Hanging out with friends and going out trick or treating if it's not too cold and if COVID isn’t too bad.”
Dylan Jessen: “Dress up as a BLT.”
Halloween scares should only be from horror movies, scary clowns, monsters, ghosts, and haunted houses but this season has brought upon a new scare, COVID-19. With these recommendations, Halloween can resume back to its old traditions of scares and without the fear of getting sick from COVID-19. Remember to have fun and be safe and dress for the weather, it’s going to be cold.
