Plan to trick-or-treat in Manatee County? Here’s how to do it safely, according to health officials

Unlike some cities and counties in the U.S., there is no local ban on trick-or-treating in Bradenton or Manatee County this year.

However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are discouraging traditional, door-to-door trick-or-treating to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Whether you plan on giving out candy or collecting it this Halloween, health officials have some advice on how to do it more safely during the pandemic.

Safer trick-or-treating

Ahead of Halloween, the CDC shared guidance on how to participate in a lower-risk version of trick-or-treating that eliminates close interaction between people from different households. Residents are advised to make individually wrapped goodie bags that can be lined up at the edge of a yard or driveway for trick-or-treaters to collect.

There’s plenty of ways to get creative with the creation of your candy station, from festively decorated tables to treat-dispensing monsters.

If you do plan to give out treats yourself, do it outdoors, the CDC says. Other infectious disease experts have advised not to let kids reach into a candy bowl, but instead use a scoop or tongs to pass out the candy. Even better, residents can create candy chutes or slides that allow them to distribute candy while socially distanced.

A face covering is highly recommended for anyone who plans to be around other people outside of their household.

The CDC warns that masks that are part of a costume do not necessarily provide a sufficient barrier for germs.

From the CDC:

• 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.

• Masks should not be worn by children under the age of 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing.

Parents should bring hand sanitizer for their trick-or-treaters to use after contact with objects or other people, and kids should wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before digging into the candy at home, according to the CDC.

Officials say there is still no evidence of COVID-19 transmission via food packaging, but parents who want to be extra cautious can have kids open the candy onto a plate and then wash hands again before they eat it.

Trick-or-treating alternatives (and those to avoid)

Low-risk activities: The CDC recommends the following low-risk Halloween activities:

• Pumpkin carving or decorating with family or at a safe distance outdoors with neighbors or friends.
• Decorating your home.
• Halloween scavenger hunts that incorporate social distancing.
• Virtual costume contests.
• Halloween movie night with household members.

Moderate-risk activities:

• One-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance. Those preparing the goodie bags are advised to wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags.
• Small, outdoor costume parades where participants are more than 6 feet apart.

• Outdoor costume parties where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart.

• Open-air, one-way haunted attractions where mask use is enforced and social distancing maintained.

• Visiting pumpkin patches where masks are used and social distancing is possible.

• Outdoor Halloween movie nights with local family friends where social distancing is maintained.

High-risk activities: In the category of activities that are best avoided this Halloween, the CDC includes:

• Door-to-door trick-or-treating.
• Trunk-or-treat events.
• Crowded indoor parties.
• Indoor haunted houses.