As the holiday season gets nearer, more and more people are heading out more often and making plans for gatherings and parties. During the ongoing festivities, the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has uploaded a new set of guidelines for the celebration of Halloween.
According to the instructions, which have been recently uploaded, people can still celebrate the event but would have to cancel some of the major traditions associated with it such as trick-or-treating.
Since the practice involves going to multiple houses and meeting people face to face, the CDC recommends delaying it for this year as the vast majority of the population in the US remains at a high risk of the coronavirus.
In addition, in-door Halloween costume parties are also at high risk of paving the way for a coronavirus breakout unless there are a limited number of attendees, all of whom are following preventive measures strictly.
So, if indoor gatherings and trick-or-treating can aid in coronavirus transmission, what else can be done? According to the CDC, there are also a number of other ways to celebrate Halloween safely.
For instance, instead of planning indoor events, having an outdoor gathering with only close friends and family can be arranged.
Secondly, there are a number of activities in which social distancing can also be practiced effectively such as watching a movie outdoors or planning a scavenger hunt in the neighborhood instead of trick-or-treating for children.
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If a party outdoor spaces cannot be arranged, there are a number of other ways that can prevent coronavirus spread during indoor gatherings such as wearing suitable costumes.
Many of the traditional Halloween costumes usually come with face-covering masks, which can be highly effective in reducing the likelihood of the spread of the infection among people.
When choosing a costume for an event or for children, try selecting one that covers the face or have a specific theme at the party which requires people to wear such costumes for attending.
Whether the gathering is outdoors or indoors, make sure that people are following preventive measures and keep the time of the event as short as possible with a limited number of guests.
Also, the CDC also suggests avoiding drinking heavily as it often leads to people making unhealthy choices unconsciously.
For children, trick-or-treating can be made safer by wrapping candies, chocolates, and others in bags and leaving them in a bowl or jar on the driveway so that they can just follow the tradition without having any direct contact.
Halloween can be celebrated safely by following the most basic preventive guidelines for coronavirus prevention from the CDC.
However, in case a person is not feeling well and having symptoms of the coronavirus infection or has been recently exposed to the virus, he or she should avoid attending any event or party.
Similarly, people who are at high risk of contracting and developing a severe form of the infection should be extra cautious and not go to crowded places or any events with a large number of people.
