No Trick-Or-Treating In Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Haunted houses and trick-or-treating are off limits in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community this Halloween.

The community issued a new COVID-19 directive Thursday banning the holiday activities within the community, for the sake of safety.

More than 5,700 members of the community are unvaccinated, according to Salt River officials, and there is a 140 percent increase in COVID-19 cases from this time last year.

Teens between 14-17 are the most likely to bring the delta variant home to their families, according to the Salt River directive, and infants and toddlers are the most likely to infect others in their homes.

"It is necessary for the Community to continue efforts to protect the most vulnerable within the population," Salt River said in the directive.

The community requires masking in public and urges all members who are eligible to get vaccinated.