Council leaders across Hertfordshire are encouraging people to celebrate Halloween safely, helping to save lives by preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
This year, many Halloween traditions such as trick or treating carry a risk and the county’s message is clear: this Halloween, stick to a safer way of having fun.
Top five low-risk activities:
- Carve or decorate pumpkins with members of your household and display them in your window, or outside. This year, why not carve a rainbow in your pumpkin? A video showing how can be found on YouTube.
- Take part in a local ‘spot the pumpkin’ trail throughout half term week. Residents display pumpkin or Halloween pictures in their windows and you try to find them with your family
- Organise a Halloween scavenger hunt, where children from your household are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for either in your home, or outdoors
- Host a virtual Halloween costume competition with other households
- Hold a Halloween film night with your household
Three higher-risk activities to avoid this Halloween:
- Participating in traditional trick-or-treating, where treats are handed to children who go door-to-door
- Attending crowded fancy dress parties or any party where there are more than six people
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, think you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or you have been told to self-isolate, you should not participate in any in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out sweets to trick-or-treaters.
Jim McManus, Director of Public Health at Hertfordshire County Council said:
While Halloween is a great time of year for dressing up and having fun, this year we urge families to take part in lower risk activities, such as pumpkin carving or displaying spooky pictures, helping to minimise the risk of spreading coronavirus to others. We don’t want to be in a position where we have to introduce tougher measures and local lockdowns in Hertfordshire, but we need your help to avoid this.
Cllr Linda Haysey, Leader of East Herts Council, and Chair of the community reassurance cell of the Hertfordshire Local Resilience Forum, said:
Thank you to everyone in Hertfordshire for your efforts in helping to control the spread of the virus. We all want our lives to get back to normal, but now is not the time to be complacent. Please continue to play your part this Halloween – wash your hands, cover your face and make space.
Leader of Broxbourne Council, Councillor Lewis Cocking said:
Unfortunately, cases in Hertfordshire are still rising. This Halloween we are asking the public not to take part in trick or treating, or other high risk activities and instead take part in fun alternatives.
We all have a part to play in keeping ourselves and each other safe. Please follow the government’s guidelines to help reduce the number of cases.