NJ Halloween, Trick-or-Treating: Take The Patch Survey

Editor's note: A technical issue kept some respondents from accessing the survey earlier this week. We have since corrected it.

NEW JERSEY — The leaves are falling, the weather is cooling, and the pumpkins are being picked from that patch as the Garden State heads into its second Halloween season while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

While this year the health picture is different with vaccinations now in play, there are still a large number of little ghouls and goblins unprotected this spooky season.

Unvaccinated New Jerseyans should still don a face mask while attending Halloween or Thanksgiving celebrations and avoid traveling this year, although it is still recommended for everyone to skip indoor gatherings altogether regardless of vaccination status, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in its new COVID-19 guidelines.

In the guidance issued on Friday, the CDC notes that masks should be worn at indoor gatherings or outdoor gatherings that are crowded, or gatherings with those who are not fully vaccinated.

"Outdoor activities are safer than indoor gatherings," the CDC said in its guidelines.

"If celebrating indoors, bring in fresh air by opening windows and doors, if possible. You can use a window fan in one of the open windows to blow air out of the window. This will pull fresh air in through the other open windows."

During a Monday afternoon press briefing, Gov. Phil Murphy reiterated that Halloween celebrations will proceed in the Garden State in 2021, albeit with safety precautions throughout the rest of the fall and winter celebratory months.

Will you send your kids trick-or-treating this year? Plan to pass out candy or are you keeping the porch light off this year? Take Connecticut Patch’s survey and let us know.

Note: The survey is not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but is meant only to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way.