Waltham Halloween 2020: What You Need To Know

WALTHAM, MA — If you were watching places like Brookline and Newton and wondering if the city had put any special regulations on Halloween this year amid the city's health emergency, the answer is no.

"How you choose to celebrate Halloween this year, whether traditionally, modified, or with a lower risk activity, is up to you," city officials said in a statement Monday.

Although it's not canceled here, U.S. Health officials are recommending that residents be extremely careful if they choose to do the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating this Halloween or other activities that risk transmission of the coronavirus.

"I don’t want to discourage people from Halloween," said Waltham Public Health Director Michelle Feeley in an interview. But she recommends a lower key Halloween spent within family circles this year.

Feeley said her department had been waiting on state guidance, but the state hasn’t given much guidance beyond pointing to the Centers for Disease Control recommendations.

"We just want people to stay safe and maybe stay within your own family," she said.

And if you do go trick-or-treating?

"Just to really be safe, wear the mask, not just the Halloween mask, but a cloth mask with it," Feeley said.

Some local health departments are suggesting that people who choose to offer candy consider setting up a table and placing individually wrapped bags of treats so that multiple people do not have to reach into the same bowl. For trunk-or-treating, create distance between cars by parking in every other space.

"Please be mindful that we have seen increasing numbers of COVID-19 in Waltham and, as we are currently designated a red / high-risk community, it’s critical we all continue to work together to stop the spread," the city said.

Halloween activities that are considered high-risk by the CDC:

• Traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door.
• Trick-or-treating at houses where individuals are not wearing a face covering and where 6 feet of physical distance is not maintained between people.
• Trunk-or-treating where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots.
• Events that involve large gatherings, such as crowded costume parties held indoors and any events where at least 6 feet of distancing is difficult to maintain.
• Indoor haunted houses where people may be crowded together and screaming.

Activities that are considered low-risk by the CDC:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space and having a virtual contest with neighbors
• 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

For those who are planning to participate in Halloween events, officials urge people to wash their hands before and during trick-or-treating or handing out candy.

The CDC is reminding trick-or-treaters to wear face coverings that fit right and protect against inhaling respiratory droplets from other people, and recommend a cloth mask that doesn't leave gaps around your face.

What is your plan? Tell us in the comments.

Read more:

• Waltham Declares Public Health Emergency, Requires Face Coverings
• Waltham's Coronavirus Risk Level Rises To High
• Waltham Patch Wants To See Your Pumpkin Photos ...

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how .