As a holiday that’s beloved by adults and children alike, Halloween has a lot to offer. From trick-or-treating to social gatherings to family celebrations, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the spookiest time of year. However, with the U.S. and many other parts of the world not yet fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, it pays to exercise caution when taking part in Halloween-related festivities. To help ensure that you and your loved ones are able to celebrate this Halloween with peace of mind, take the following pointers to heart.
Get Vaccinated
Unless you suffer from a documented medical condition that precludes you from getting vaccinated, you have no excuse to not get one of the easily accessible COVID-19 vaccines. Not only are these vaccines available free of charge, they’re being administered at countless medical facilities, pop-up clinics and pharmacies. If you intend to take part in Halloween festivities – or be an active member of society at large – it is your duty as a citizen to get vaccinated and help end the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Needless to say, the longer you remain unvaccinated, the more likely you are to contract COVID-19 and/or its growing number of variants. Additionally, once the overwhelming majority of us have been fully vaccinated, the virus will lose its ability to produce new variants. Even if you aren’t particularly concerned about the effect a COVID-19 infection would have on you, it behooves you to consider all the people you stand to pass it on to.
Purchase Decorations Well in Advance
For many households, decorating is the most highly anticipated part of Halloween. In the interest of avoiding crowds during an active pandemic, take care to purchase Halloween decorations well in advance of All Hallows’ Eve. Not only will this help keep you safe, it will ensure that you’re able to procure the spookiest decorations before they start selling out everywhere.
Take Precautions When Passing Out Candy
Since the vast majority of children in the U.S. are currently unvaccinated, you’d be wise to wear a mask and other PPE when handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. Although children are unlikely to be as adversely impacted by COVID-19 as adults, they can still act as carriers. (Of course, this isn’t to say that children can’t become fatally ill from contracting COVID-19.) So, if you intend to hand out candy on Halloween, take care to don a mask and face shield. Such precautions can prove particularly helpful to people who live in areas that receive large numbers of trick-or-treaters.
Given how readily millions of Americans have adopted anti-science and anti-vaccinations attitudes, it stands to reason that some of the parents you encounter may chide you for taking common sense precautions and possibly attempt to draw you into arguments. Rather than taking the bait, you’d do well to ignore these individuals. In all likelihood, they’re unvaccinated, so making your interactions with them as brief as possible is in your best interest. Furthermore, attempting to argue with these individuals may result in them becoming irate and/or outright violent, so if you value your health (and sanity), simply avoid giving in.
Find Costumes That Incorporate PPE
To provide yourself with an added layer of protection, start shopping around for costumes that incorporate masks, face shields and other PPE. Doctors, ninjas, bandits and pirates are all solid examples of costumes that can actively contribute to your safety. Additionally, people who are pressed for time will be pleased to learn that some masks can actually double as costumes. Of course, this isn’t to say that you can’t incorporate PPE into any costume. If you intend to be around people outside of your immediate household this Halloween, you’ll need to be wearing a mask – regardless of whether or not it fits in with your chosen costume.
People of all ages actively anticipate the arrival of Halloween. Donning elaborate costumes, celebrating with friends and indulging in a delightfully spooky atmosphere are just a few of the things everyone loves about this truly unique holiday. However, it’s important to remember that despite the ready availability of vaccines, the U.S. is still in the middle of an active pandemic. Additionally, with COVID-19 cases on the rise in many parts of the country, caution must still be exercised when celebrating Halloween. So, if a safe and enjoyable Halloween is what you’re after, put the previously discussed tips to good use.