Halloween Is Still On In MA, But Baker Has A Thing Or Two To Say

Halloween is still on in Massachusetts, but to what extent is anyone's guess.

Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday afternoon local communities will have final say over Halloween celebrations and trick-or-treating, but he did advise caution as the coronavirus numbers continue to tick upward across the state.

There are no rules or mandates beyond established COVID-19 ones, Baker said. Instead he offered tips and guidance, saying indoor parties "are a really bad idea" and encouraged trick-or-treaters to go out only in small groups.

"Wear a mask," Baker said. "Not just a mask of Superman or Wonder Woman. Wear a real mask."

Many parents are desperate for their children to have something resembling normalcy to look forward to, but others are fearful of the social mingling that is inherent with the holiday. It's not just ghoulish kids creeping door-to-door, but teens and adults hosting large parties.

"I've had a lot of people ask me: 'Why don't you just cancel Halloween?'" Baker said. "The reason is that would have created thousands of indoor parties that would have been a heck of a lot worse."

Halloween is just 25 days away, but coronavirus numbers have been steadily increasing since before the start of the month. The positive test rate in Monday's Department of Public Health report spiked to over 4 percent and 20 more deaths were reported. The number of hospitalizations continues to increase.

Baker was speaking in Salem, which despite canceling most of its famed celebrations are concerned about tens of thousands of visitors descending upon the city this month.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll asked people to avoid the city after museums, restaurants and attractions sold out or reached capacity early this past weekend and rolling closures were made on roadways and walkways to keep people moving and promote social distancing amid the health crisis.

"If you have not secured lodging or booked tickets in advance for your stay, you may want to consider saving your visit till 2021, when we hope to be recovered from this pandemic and able to enjoy our full array of unique activities and events," Driscoll said.

Scott Souza, Patch staff, contributed to this report