Boston Permits Trick-Or-Treating Amid Pandemic, Urges Safety Precautions

Children will be permitted to trick-or-treat in Boston during Halloween, but will be urged to take extra safety precautions amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Boston Public Health Commission issued safety tips to "encourage families to find safer, alternative or virtual ways to have fun this season," while acknowledging traditional trick-or-treating as an activity that carries risks of contracting COVID-19, WCVB reports.

The department is urging children to trick-or-treat only with immediate family members in an effort to avoid direct contact tracing between trick-or-treaters and other individuals handing out candy.

"We're asking people to take the extra precautions that are necessary this year, including avoiding direct contact with trick-or-treaters, wearing masks at all times, washing hands before eating any treats, and avoiding attending or hosting gatherings," Mayor Marty Walsh said in a written statement obtained by WCVB.

The Boston Public Health Commission issued the following tips for families planning on trick-or-treating:

• Trick-or-treat only with immediate family members
• Avoid direct contact with individuals handing out candy
• Wash your hands before distributing candy
• Wear a mask; a costume mask is not an appropriate substitute for a cloth mask
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others who are not part of your household
• Bring hand sanitizer and use it after touching objects or other individuals

The department also provided these safety prepare for trick-or-treaters:

• Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters
• Wash hands before handing treats
• Set up a station outdoors with individually wrapped goodie bags for trick-or-treaters
• Wear a mask; a costume mask is not an appropriate substitute for a cloth mask
• Stay at least 6 feet away from others who are not part of your household.

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