Media Release: Residents encouraged to celebrate Halloween safely

Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/Oct. 28, 2021

In just a few days it will be Halloween and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEH) is encouraging everyone to celebrate safely this year.

“Thanks to our community’s efforts to get vaccinated and to follow public health guidance, it is possible to celebrate Halloween this year, provided public health measures are followed,” says Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Acting Medical Officer of Health.

If you choose to trick-or-treat door-to-door:

• Stay home if you have symptoms, even if they are mild.
• Trick-or-treat outdoors as much as possible.
  • If trick-or-treating indoors, maintain physical distancing as much as possible and wear a face covering, especially when physical distancing is a challenge.
• Be creative and build the face covering into your costume, but know that a costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering, and that a costume mask should not be worn over a non-medical mask or face covering because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe.
• Do not crowd doorsteps – Take turns approaching one at a time.
• Do not sing or shout for your treats.
• Keep interactions brief with those giving out treats.
• Use hand sanitizer often, especially before and after handling your face covering, after touching frequently touched surfaces, when you arrive home from trick-or-treating, and before and after handling or eating treats.
  • There is no need to clean or disinfect pre-packaged treats.

If you choose to give out treats:

• Do not participate in Halloween festivities if you have symptoms, even if they are mild.
• Keep interactions with trick-or-treaters short and encourage them to move along after receiving their treat from you.
• Consider wearing a face covering when physical distancing cannot be maintained:
  • If you are dressing up, consider including the face covering as part of your costume.
• Give out only purchased and packaged treats.
• Do not ask trick-or-treaters to sing or shout for their treats.
• Clean your hands often throughout the evening using soap and water or hand sanitizer.

Please refer to the  provincial website for current rules, regulations, and guidance on gatherings. Permissions will vary depending on where the event or gathering will take place. If you choose to attend or host a gathering, follow these tips to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19:

If you choose to attend a Halloween party:

• You should not attend if you have any symptoms, even if they are mild.
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer regularly throughout the event.
• Consider participating virtually or not attending the event if you are immunocompromised or at higher risk of severe disease and/or exposure to COVID-19.

If you choose to host a Halloween party:

• Do not exceed the gathering limit of 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
  • You should have the fewest number of people possible at your party or gathering and use outdoor spaces whenever possible.
    
    
• Provide all the necessary supplies, including hand sanitizer, soap and water.
• Open windows, if possible.
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces.
• Ask guests to not attend if they have symptoms, even if they are mild.
• Make a list of guests attending in case public health needs it for contact tracing.
• Remind people of public health guidance to follow during the event.
• If you choose to serve food or drinks at your party, you should:
  • wash your hands before and frequently during preparation and serving; and;
  • have everyone wash their hands before and after eating.

For more information on how to celebrate Halloween safely this year, visit https://hpepublichealth.ca/celebrations-ceremonies-holidays/

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Media contacts

Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
mhyland@hpeph.ca

About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

We invite community partners and residents to share this Media Release with their respective networks.