LOS ANGELES – Echoing guidelines issued earlier by Los Angeles County, the state’s Health and Human Services secretary said Tuesday trick-or-treating for Halloween is being “strongly discouraged” across California due to the threat of the coronavirus.
“COVID-19 continues to pose an important risk, as we say time and time again, so some of the traditional Halloween celebrations such as parties, door-to-door trick-or-treating, we know pose a high risk of spreading COVID, and are therefore strongly discouraged,” Dr. Mark Ghaly said. “We suggest families, given this, should plan now on safer alternatives.”
The state’s newly released health guidance for Halloween largely mirrors recommendations issued last month by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Those local recommendations included a ban on parties or large gatherings. The county initially barred trick-or-treating, but quickly backed down, listing such activity as “not recommended.”
While also saying large gatherings are banned, Ghaly noted that the state recently loosened its restrictions on get-togethers, but said such events should be limited to no more than three households.
He urged families to celebrate Halloween at home, while gathering “virtually” with friends or extended family.
“Virtual celebrations create a number of new opportunities for how to celebrate Halloween,” Ghaly said, suggesting activities such as virtual costume contests or pumpkin-carving contests.
“What a fun way to reconnect with friends and people you haven’t seen in some time,” he said.
He said families can also consider at-home activities, such as “creating a haunted house or candy hunt, having a scary movie night, painting faces and carving pumpkins, decorating your backyard or your home, whatever you have, designing face masks that match your Halloween costume, sharing treats with your household.”
Ghaly conceded that trick-or-treating is a cherished part of Halloween, but such activity could easily spread the virus.
“The whole act of going door to door in groups, ringing doorbells, digging into buckets of delicious candy create a risk of spreading COVID-19,” he said. “The fact that positive cases are hard to discover and probably really challenging to contract-trace also pose challenges that we feel like are too great. And during this hard time we know the importance of Halloween. We believe that we’ve outlined a number of important activities that can supplement and create alternatives in lieu of that trick-or-treating that so many people look forward to.”
Previous related stories:
LA County backs off trick-or-treating ban, but advises strongly against it
LA County health officials ban trick-or-treating
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Leroy says
The world according to Eric Garcetti and Gavin Newson, looting small business, burning store owners into bankruptcy is encouraged. Get caught celebrating Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween, they’ll shut off your utilities. If you’re a cosmetologist, go to jail, directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect US$200.
Matthew Sater says
State health officials are full of crap! I wonder how many CA officials as well as Los Angeles County officials took part of the 2 billion hush money, the money that was on a pallet sent to Iran as part of the iran nuke deal, how many of them took that 2 billion as treasonous hush money. Story broke 2 days ago and no one is reporting on it, CLINTON HAS SEAL TEAM ^ KILLED to keep her little secret about bin laden, he is still alive living in Iran. 2 billion paid in cash for American politicians to keep their mouths closed. TREASONOUS, hundreds of them!
Matt says
Yes, there are people who actually believe these things.
Loam says
We can line up at restaurants and grocery stories but heaven forbid we spend a few seconds in front of someone’s door. Aren’t masks supposed to be safe?
Taking poisoned candy from strangers is probably more risky than getting a virus from a few seconds of “Trick or Treat”.
I guess we should thank them for protecting us from ourselves. Next will they ban travel during Thanksgiving?
? says
Yes Loam
You should be in charge of everything.
Seriously says
Well, let us look at this more deeply.
Food for sustenance to survive can be obtained at restaurants and grocery stores.
We still are not allowed to sit inside at restaurants.
Food is a requirement to live.
Candy, while a form of food, is not required to live.
It can be obtained at stores.
So to minimize exposure as much as possible we are being asked to refrain for this year. One night. We all know it is hard.
There is not a ban on travel, but again a suggestion to reduce travel if possible.
Geez it is like the people making the rules understand we have rights or something, with all these suggestions, while they try to control the spread of a disease that is harsher than the flu.
Alby says
Wait till after the election. The virus is gonna magically go away and a new democratic agenda will be set fourth.