Arlington Halloween 2020: What You Need To Know

ARLINGTON, MA — Town officials are asking residents to stay safe and healthy this Halloween by following the recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The CDC compiled Halloween activities into high, moderate and low risk and advise against participating in high-risk activities during the pandemic.

"We understand that many look forward to Halloween and the joy of trick-or-treating and Halloween parties," Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine said in a statement. "However, the Mass Department of Health and CDC has determined that many traditional trick-or-treating activities are higher risk and are not recommended."

Large group gatherings are a primary source of positive cases reported across the state. The town urges residents planning to celebrate Halloween to participate in lower- or moderate-risk activities to minimize the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Halloween activities are also subject to current Arlington gathering size limits – 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors – as well as any applicable sector-specific workplace safety standards.

Residents should stay home and refrain from Halloween activities, including handing out Halloween treats, if they feel unwell, have tested positive for COVID-19, have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have traveled to or from a state that is not classified as lower risk within the last 14 days.

Below are the CDC recommendations. They recommend avoiding higher-risk activities and consider engaging in only lower to moderate risk alternatives this year. Residents should always wear face coverings and stay 6 feet apart when engaging in even low risk activities.

Avoid Higher-Risk Activities

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door.
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots.
• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors.
• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming.
• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
• Using alcohol and drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors.
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19.

Moderate-Risk Activities

• Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard). If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart.
• Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart.
  • A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
  • Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
• Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing.
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart.
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.

Lower-Risk Activities

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household.
• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends.
• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space.
• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance.
• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest.
• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with.
• Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house.