HANCOCK COUNTY — Greenfield Police Chief Jeff Rasche started contemplating the city’s trick-or-treat hours a lot earlier than he has in previous years.
In the era of COVID-19, plenty of parents were wondering what to expect.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anticipated that curiosity as well, and has released guidelines on how children and their families can celebrate the holiday safely. While the agency identifies traditional trick-or-treating as “higher risk,” officials in the county are confident residents will behave cautiously.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryTrick-or-treat hours are from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, for Fortville, Greenfield and McCordsville and 5 to 9 p.m. in New Palestine.
“I do think people will be smart,” Rasche said. “I think it’s become a way of life for all of us to do whatever we feel we need to do to protect ourselves.”
Dr. Sandra Aspy, Hancock County health officer, pointed to the guidance the CDC recently released on Halloween and other upcoming holidays, which places traditional trick-or-treating on a list of higher-risk activities.
When making the decision for Greenfield, Rasche said he spoke with Mayor Chuck Fewell and the Hancock County Health Department, which relayed the CDC’s stance on the matter. He and the health department determined if residents are made aware of precautions and alternatives to consider, then trick-or-treating could occur. Rasche said the police department plans to work with the health department to dispense ideas in that regard in the coming weeks.
Under the CDC’s list of moderate-risk Halloween activities, the agency suggests “one-way trick-or-treating,” in which individually wrapped bags of treats are lined up for participants to grab while social-distancing, like at the end of a driveway or the edge of a yard. Those preparing the bags should wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after, the guidance continues.
The CDC also considers attending crowded indoor costume parties as high-risk and proposes smaller, outdoor, open-air events as moderate-risk alternatives.
A costume mask is not a substitute for the kind of face coverings suggested to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC. Costume masks shouldn’t be used unless they’re made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face. Costume masks should not be worn over protective cloth masks, as they could make it difficult to breathe. The CDC encourages Halloween revelers to consider Halloween-themed cloth masks.
Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana State Health commissioner, said during a media briefing earlier this week that she admires how the guidelines break up activities by risk level.
“And therefore, every family can decide based on who’s living at home with them and the health of the individuals that live in their home,” Box said, adding people should also listen to their local public health and elected officials and take into account the COVID-19 spread in their own communities.
She said she plans to talk more about Halloween guidance during the state’s next media briefing on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Craig Felty, vice president, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer of Hancock Regional Hospital, said he supports trick-or-treating under the county’s current COVID-19 climate.
“If people really just maintain some of the good habits that we have formed — social distancing, hygiene and masks — I think it’s going to be very safe for our kids to go out trick-or-treating,” Felty said.
He encourages parents to stock up on alcohol-based hand sanitizer and make sure their children use it frequently if they’re accepting candy from others.
“I would say the least contact you can have with others is the best,” Felty said. “Maybe allow them to just drop the candy in your bag so you don’t have any hand-to-hand transfer of candy.”
He echoed the CDC’s thoughts on Halloween parties as well.
“Really it’s best to try and move as much as you can outside,” he said.
Felty added if festivities are indoors, people should wear proper face coverings, practice social distancing and wash their hands often or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
“It all comes back to doing the same things that we’ve been talking about,” he said. “If we continue to do that, we’re just going to continue to move in the right direction against this virus.”
The CDC also labels trunk-or-treat events as higher risk. Ones coming up at Riley Park in Greenfield and outside Town Hall in McCordsville are being advertised as taking COVID-19 precautions.
Jenni Dropsey, who lives near New Palestine, thinks trick-or-treating should occur as long as there aren’t any drastic increases in novel coronavirus cases in the area.
“But I’m hoping… that as parents we can sort of exercise precautions to make it safer,” she continued.
Dropsey hopes people with freshly sanitized hands will hand out candy to trick-or-treaters instead of having the young candy collectors reach in for their own. She also hopes people will be respectful of one another when it comes to face coverings, regardless of whether they’re supporters of the practice.
Her teenage son may or may not care about trick-or-treating this year, but her 8-year-old son is certainly looking forward to it.
“What we may end up choosing to do is just go to a small amount of select houses, especially people maybe that we know will be cautious and respectful… and maybe do a little bit of our own celebrating at home to supplement what we don’t get from going to a hundred different houses,” Dropsey said.
Jeremy Rodgers, who also lives near New Palestine, has four children at home, and trick-or-treating is on the agenda for next month.
“They’re already talking about what they want to dress up as,” Rodgers said. “…We’re just going to kind of treat it as a normal Halloween as much as we can.”
When he and his wife take their kids out on the evening of Oct. 31, he said they likely won’t be wearing any masks other than the ones that are part of costumes.
“We’re going to be outside,” he said. “…We’re just not too worried.”
Responses to a request for feedback on Greenfield Gabber, a popular community Facebook page, mostly drew responses in support of trick-or-treating.
“I think the majority of us parents are saying we don’t want it canceled,” Sarah Bogner wrote. “It’s not like trick-or-treating on Halloween is a mandatory event. If you don’t want your child(ren) to participate, that’s your choice and you’re entitled to do as you wish. But to me, it’s not much different than sending the kiddos to school.”
Erica Pence wrote it’s too risky for her second-grader, who has lung issues, to go trick-or-treating during the pandemic.
“She came up with the idea to hunt candy in Easter eggs and make a haunted house out of cardboard boxes,” Pence added. “We LOVE Halloween in this house, but exposing her to so many people isn’t an option.”
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Trick-or-treat hours
Saturday, Oct. 31
Fortville, Greenfield and McCordsville: 5 to 8 p.m.
New Palestine: 5 to 9 p.m.
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Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters. Here is some advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Lower-risk activities
These activities can be safe alternatives:
- 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
- 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
Moderate-risk activities
- Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard). If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags.
- Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
- Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart. A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
- Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart. If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised.
- Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples; wearing masks is encouraged or enforced; and people are able to maintain social distancing
- Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart.
Higher-risk activities
Avoid these higher-risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:
- Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
- Having trunk-or-treat events where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
- Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors
- Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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