Whether to allow trick-or-treating during a global pandemic is a question being faced by many local communities. Knox Mayor Dennis Estok told the city council last week that he was still waiting for guidance.
“Basically, talking to the Health Department today, it’s a wait and see,” he said. “Number one is you’ve got to wait and see what the governor does. Number two is you’ve got to see what the CDC standards are going to be, if they address that.”
When State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box was asked about the issue Wednesday, she said it’s still too early to make any firm decisions. But if a community’s COVID-19 numbers are low, she thinks Halloween can occur safely. “Again, it’s about washing your hands carefully, right? It’s about not letting your kids dig into that pumpkin, in that bucket, and eat it as they’re walking around, unless their hands have been washed,” Box said. “So it’s having a talk with your older kids that are going out and talking to your younger kids and making sure that you’ve got those wipes for their hands.”
Box said it might be safer for residents to pass the candy out, rather than letting every child reach into a bucket. She said she plans to give communities more direction as we get closer to Halloween, but she noted that it will ultimately depend on what local health and elected officials feel comfortable with.
At this point, Plymouth and Bremen have decided to give residents the option to hand out candy on Halloween, but that could change depending on the pandemic. In Knox, Mayor Estok thinks it will be a late decision. “There’s different ideas on how to do it safely out there, but my biggest concern is, even if we do it, whether you’re going to have people participating, handing candy out,” he told the city council.
Knox will also have to start planning for its Christmas festivities soon. Estok hopes to be able to hold this year’s Peppermint Parade, but said there’s no way kids will be able to wait in line and sit on Santa’s lap.
