The County of San Diego has issued guidelines for celebrating Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guide lists activities that are not permitted, including: in-person gatherings; carnivals; festivals or petting zoos, along with activities that ARE and ARE NOT recommended.
Trick-or-treating is on the NOT RECOMMENDED list because its difficult to maintain social distancing, and haunted houses are also not recommended because they are poorly ventilated and tend to keep people together in close contact. The County offers a list of Safer Alternatives in their Guide.
NOT ALLOWED (in-person gatherings and events are currently not allowed under the County of San Diego Public Health Order)
- In-person gatherings, events, or parties with non-household members are not permitted, even if they are conducted outdoors, since maintaining 6-feet of distance between participants cannot be easily maintained.
- Carnivals, festivals, petting zoos, and live entertainment are not allowed because frequent interaction with high-touch surfaces by children and participants increase the risk of infection to the community.
NOT RECOMMENDED
- Close contact, door-to-door trick-or-treating or “trunk-or-treating,” and leaving bowls of candy for others to grab is not recommended, because it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing guidelines.
- Haunted Houses are not recommended because they put an increased amount of people in typically tight, poorly ventilated areas that make it difficult to maintain 6-feet of distance from others.
RECOMMENDED
- Online parties/contests (e.g., costume or pumpkin carving) and drive-through events and car parades.
- Dressing up homes and yards with Halloween-themed decorations.
- Halloween movie nights with your own household or at drive-in theaters.
- Pumpkin patches where people use hand sanitizer and maintain 6-feet of distance from others.
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