Halloween Tips From Chatham Township's Mayor

CHATHAM, NJ - Chatham Township Mayor Mike Kelly took time from his coronavirus update to the community to share some upbeat news on Halloween.

"October for most of us, and especially for children, means Halloween. And I'm happy to report that both state and local health officials say Halloween trick-or-treating is a go," Kelly wrote. "With reasonable precautions."

Kelly noted the NJ Department of Health urges families to plan early to identify safe alternatives to the traditional and ill-advised indoor parties and crowded Halloween events.

"Those who plan to trick-or-treat should limit their groups to current household members, stay local, and limit the number of houses on their route. Social distancing should be practiced between all who are not in the same household," Kelly said. "Those putting out treats should limit contact with trick-or-treaters coming to the door, wear a mask and wash hands regularly. A good option, according to health officials, would be to place several treats in a bowl where they can be easily accessed. A better option would be to spread a few treats on a tray to avoid hands reaching into a shared bowl. Creative homeowners might design their own fun delivery systems, perhaps a plastic pipe taped to the railing on the front steps, or re-purpose a wash line and pulley to deliver treats from a distance."

The NJ Department of Health doesn't outlaw group events, but it does emphasize caution Kelly said, noting outdoor Trunk or Treat events, when children go car-to-car instead of house-to-house, must be limited in size and must insure social distancing.

"Costume masks are not adequate by themselves and must be supplemented with face masks," Kelly said.

Parties must comply with crowd limits in effect by Halloween, and must not include activities that require close contact or shared items, such as bobbing for apples and indoor haunted houses should be avoided due to the likelihood of screaming and crowding in tight places, Kelly said.

"Hayrides must limit shared passengers to members of one household or group. Corn mazes must limit the number of participants and the direction of travel," he said. "The safest options, health experts say, are those that are limited to family members, perhaps including drive-through events, pumpkin carving, family costume parties or movie nights."

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