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Clay Health provides suggestions for safe Halloween

For Clay Today
Posted 10/21/20

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Florida Department of Health in Clay County recommends celebrating Halloween virtually or with members of your own household. The department is encouraging all residents to …

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Clay Health provides suggestions for safe Halloween


Posted

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The Florida Department of Health in Clay County recommends celebrating Halloween virtually or with members of your own household. The department is encouraging all residents to practice social distancing precautions in order to reduce the risk of spreading infectious diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains when family and friends attend celebrations in communities with higher cases of COVID-19, it poses a higher risk for spread of infection. To get more information on COVID-19 case numbers in your or your family’s community go to the Florida Department of Health’s website, https://floridahealthcovid19.gov.

During Halloween Celebrations

Limit close contact and maintain a distance of six feet or more with people you do not live with. Avoid busy areas and minimize gestures that promote close contact i.e. hugging, shaking hands, or fist bumps. Instead wave or verbally greet others.

Social distance and limit close contact

• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet or more from people you don’t live with. Be particularly mindful in areas where it may harder to keep this distance, such as restrooms and eating areas.

• Avoid using restroom facilities at high traffic times, such as at the end of a public event.

• Avoid busy eating areas, such as restaurants during high volume mealtimes, if you plan to eat out at a restaurant.

• Minimize gestures that promote close contact. For example, do not shake hands, elbow bump, or give hugs. Instead wave and verbally greet others.

Wear masks

• Wear a mask at all times when around people who don’t live in your household to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

• Avoid singing, chanting, or shouting, especially when not wearing a mask and within six feet of others.

• Do not use costume masks in place of cloth masks

• Do not use a costume mask (such as for Halloween) as a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face.

• Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.

Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items

• Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and any shared items between use when feasible. Use EPA-approved disinfectants external icon.

• Use touchless garbage cans if available. Use gloves when removing garbage bags or handling and disposing of trash. Wash hands after removing gloves.

Wash hands

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

Keep safe around food and drinks

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that handling food or eating is associated with directly spreading COVID-19. It is possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, including food, food packaging, or utensils that have the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way that the virus is spread. Remember, it is always important to follow good hygiene to reduce the risk of illness from common foodborne germs.

• Make sure everyone washes their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after preparing, serving, and eating food. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

• Instead of potluck-style gatherings, encourage guests to bring food and drinks for themselves and for members of their own household only.

• Limit people going in and out of the areas where food is being prepared or handled, such as in the kitchen or around the grill, if possible.

• Wear a mask while preparing or serving food to others who don’t live in your household.

• If serving any food, consider having one person serve all the food so that multiple people are not handling the serving utensils.

• Use single-use options or identify one person to serve sharable items, like salad dressings, food containers, plates and utensils, and condiments.

• Avoid any self-serve food or drink options, such as buffets or buffet-style potlucks, salad bars, and condiment or drink stations. Use grab-and-go meal options, if available.

• If you choose to use any items that are reusable (e.g., seating covers, tablecloths, linen napkins), wash and disinfect them after the event.

• Look for healthy food and beverage options, such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low or no-calorie beverages, at holiday gatherings to help maintain good health.

CDC recommends that you do not use a costume mask as a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face.

Limit contact with touched surfaces or shared items. Wash your hands to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses. Don’t forget other safety issues that may pose a threat during Halloween celebrations such as traffic hazards, limited view with costume masks, and stranger dangers. The following risk activities below can be found on the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html)

Low Risk Activity during Halloween Celebration

• 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 during Halloween Celebration

• 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 second before and after preparing the bags.

• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than six feet apart.

• Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than six feet apart.

• A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.

• Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed 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. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.

• 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 six feet apart.

• If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.

• Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.

Higher Risk Activity during Halloween Celebration

• 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 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 judgement 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.

If you participated in any High-Risk Activity during Halloween Celebration, consider getting tested for COVID-19. If you develop symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath, contact your health provider and follow CDC-recommended steps for what to do if you are sick https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html.