Helpful Tips and Recommendations for Halloween and Trick-or-Treating During COVID-19

Halloween is right around the corner and many families may have questions on Halloween celebrations and trick-or-treating during covid-19. The Ohio Department of Health and Gov. Mike DeWine recently released guidelines to help Ohioans safely celebrate the holiday during the pandemic but ultimately left the decisions up to local communities and parents/caregivers. While this year’s celebration will no doubt look different than years past, no matter how you choose to celebrate, there are easy steps we can all take to keep Ohioans safe and healthy. Whether kids are trick-or-treating door to door or staying in for alternative activities, help us all stay safe this Halloween and prevent further spread by sharing the below graphic and tips.

Additional Halloween safety tips that are important for any Halloween season are below. Whether in a pandemic or not, we’ve compiled some added guidelines that families and children should always practice during the Halloween season.

Trick-or-treating:

• Accompany young children
• Remind your child to walk, not run, and obey traffic laws (review traffic and pedestrian safety when needed)
• Remind your child to always cross the road at intersections and crosswalks.
• Keep trick-or-treating visits to homes with an illuminated porch light
• Establish a set time to return home

Candy:
“It is rare for candy to be tampered with at Halloween. However, it is a good idea for parents to inspect the candy to make sure that each piece is individually wrapped and safely sealed. If the candy is not wrapped or looks suspicious, it is better to just throw it away.” -Ohio AAP Injury Prevention Medical Director Mike Gittelman, MD, FAP

• Inspect candy to ensure each piece is individually wrapped and sealed
• Watch out for candy that could be a choking hazard for younger children
• Examine for other toys or novelty items (especially those with small parts) that could also be a choking hazard

 

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