“When it comes to the holidays, most Americans will be in the same boat. Halloween may be just fine: Some health departments have advised against it, but trick-or-treating is a largely outdoor event, many costumes come with masks of their own, and fomite transmission (where the virus is contracted by touching inanimate objects like plastic pumpkins) is much less of a concern than scientists originally thought. With the right precautions (maybe skip the haunted house), it should be safe to ring those doorbells.”

“It’s finally on a Saturday this year, and kids have suffered enough during the last few months. I think it’s smart if neighbors just leave out candy instead of opening the doors, but if not, my kids will have masks on and I don’t see how it’s any different than going and buying candy from a grocery store.”

“Even if Halloween’s typical trick-or-treating is off the table for your family this year, it definitely doesn’t mean this holiday is canceled. It’s okay to still celebrate! And there are so many ways to make it fun, and safe, for the kids. What if you planned to celebrate throughout the whole month of October? It can be a whole season, not just a single day. Plan a few celebrations to spread it out and make the whole season memorable for the kids!”

“They might be able to do distanced events or go outdoors with two or three friends who stay apart,” she said, noting that the outdoor nature of trick-or-treating would make it safer than an indoor event. “It’s going to be tough, but there are creative ways to do it as long as you can stay within those parameters of distancing and masking hygiene.”

“Get creative and encourage your child to think about how their face mask can be part of their costume. Opt for a mask that matches the costume’s style, or have them pick a costume where a face mask is an essential part – like a doctor or a ninja. And as long as your child can still see and breathe fine and there’s plenty of ventilation, you can layer a Halloween mask over a cloth face mask.”

“If everyone stays outside, wears a mask and uses good hand hygiene, Halloween can be a safe and manageable celebration.”

“At a time when nothing seems to be normal because of COVID-19, parents desperately want something to be fun and relatively normal for their kids. Surveys have shown that most parents want their kids to celebrate Halloween. Therefore, the more appropriate question is not whether to celebrate Halloween, but how can we make it as safe as possible for everyone?” 

“Will Halloween 2020 have to be canceled? The answer, happily, is no — if we adopt the right precautions and the right attitude.”

“Coronavirus doesn’t have to cancel Halloween. People are brainstorming safe trick-or-treat alternatives.”

“As far as this moment in time, Halloween’s still on in New Jersey. Obviously, it’s not gonna be a normal Halloween. We’re gonna have to do things very carefully.”

“But really, this is Halloween we’re talking about, near the top of every child’s can’t-wait list. Can we really just lock our doors, turn off the lights and say, “Better luck next year?” No, darn it, this is America, land of the free and home of “There’s got to be a way,” so, of course, people are already working on this problem.”

“I don’t want to say that trick-or-treating should be completely canceled. It’s something that communities are going to have to weigh community by community, and that families are going to have to weigh family by family.”

“So that’s sort of a backdrop so I think from a public health point of view where we always want to help families address opportunities to find other ways to celebrate it and, you know, the risks associated with that.”