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The CDC Lays Out Halloween Guidelines On Celebrating It Safely In The Pandemic
By Thanussha Priyah, 23 Sep 2020
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has laid out guidelines on how to celebrate Halloween safely this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses," the agency writes on its website. “There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween.”
The guidance is split into three categories: lower-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk activities. The latter emphasizes the importance of social distancing, as well as avoiding gathering in large groups and interactions with people outside the household.
Low-risk activities include carving and decorating pumpkins with members from the same household, hosting a virtual Halloween costume contest, as well as having a horror movie marathon with the people you live with.
In the higher-risk category, the CDC discourages traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, packed indoor costume parties, and alcohol or drug consumption as the substances could “cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors.”
Those who have been infected with COVID-19 or have come in contact with anyone with the virus should stay at home and not participate in in-person Halloween revelries, which includes giving out candy.
When it comes to dressing up for the spooky holiday, the CDC highlights that costume masks are not a replacement for face covering. It also dissuades from layering costumes over face coverings as it can cause difficulty in breathing.
“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,” the CDC states, before suggesting “Halloween-themed cloth mask.”
Read the full guidelines on the CDC’s website, which also includes information on other celebrations such as Día de los Muertos and Thanksgiving.
For more Halloween celebration ideas, check out Hershey’s new map that recommends activities based on where you live.
The CDC wants you to have some real fun this Halloween. pic.twitter.com/Ur6POd6lDl
— Jason DeRusha (@DeRushaJ) September 22, 2020
[via Complex, cover image via Shutterstock]
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