Skip Trick or Treat and other traditions that involve being in crowds this year

 ANCHORAGE, Alaska, October 28, 2020 —Halloween will be different this year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises skipping traditional trick-or-treating and other festivities involving crowds — which are high-risk for spreading the virus. However, there are some low-risk activities you can do instead.

Though many traditional Halloween activities can actually put you at a high risk for viruses, there are plenty of safer ways to still enjoy the holiday. Consider participating in spooky activities with members of your household or having others join in on the fun virtually.

Below are the CDC’s list of activities to avoid, and recommendations to safely enjoy the holiday.

AVOID THESE HIGH-RISK ACTIVITIES

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots 
• Attending crowded indoor costume parties 
• 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 judgement and increase risky behaviors
• Traveling to a fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19

CELEBRATE WITH THESE LOWER-RISK ACTIVITIES

• Carve or decorate pumpkins with members of your household  
• Carve or decorate pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
• Decorate your living space
• Do 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
• Have a virtual Halloween costume contest
• Have a Halloween movie night with people with whom you live
• Have a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house

While planning outdoor, socially distanced activities, use the free app Emergency for weather alerts and to let others know you are safe if severe weather occurs. Find this and all of the Red Cross apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

About the American Red Cross of Alaska:

In Fiscal Year 2020, the American Red Cross of Alaska responded to 401 disasters by offering food, shelter, relief supplies, comfort, hope and recovery services to 1,024 Alaskans in 55 communities statewide. Our preparedness teams installed 1,165 free smoke alarms and educated 775 youth through The Pillowcase Project. Our Training Services department enrolled 13,878 students in first aid/CPR/AED, aquatics and caregiving classes. Our Service to the Armed Forces staff exchanged 682 global emergency messages for U.S. military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. In Fiscal Year 2020, our statewide workforce of 582 volunteers logged 40,851 hours in service to our mission and their fellow Alaskans. For more information, please visit redcross.org/Alaska or visit us on Twitter at @redcrossak.

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