A safe Halloween during a pandemic

VIDEO: Teachers, parents and experts have different opinions on trick-or-treating this Halloween in October of 2020. (Ana Leal Cornejo/RSJ)

Video by Ana Leal Cornejo

Multimedia by Nika Petrosian

By Marissa Gatto

The social media video incorporates the direct focus and visual elements of updating audiences on where the science is at regarding food handling, food safety and eating, as it pertains to COVID-19 and Halloween treats.

Health professional Isaac Bogoch thinks people should practice a safe and social distancing manner for Halloween this year regarding trick-or-treating. He believes the goal should be is to find ways to do things safely rather than to cancel. He thinks it shouldn’t be too tough to do safely as long as people are outside, wearing makes, restricted to family units and distant from others. The new guidelines for Ontario recommend that people who live in Toronto, Peel, York Region or Ottawa that trick or treating is not recommended and there are alternative ways to celebrate the occasion.

MULTIMEDIA: Helpful tips for safe trick-or-treating or an alternative experience in October of 2020. (Nika Petrosian/RSJ)

Some people have different opinions on Halloween. One family in the London Catholic school board region is planning on having one of the daughter’s friends come over to have a little dance party at their house and set up a scavenger hunt so they can go around the house and find treats. A kindergarten teacher for Themes Valley District School Board decided that her class will be having a little Halloween party but only herself and her teacher aide will be bringing treats so they can be sure they are pre-packaged and everything is bought two days before. The school board allowed each school to decide how to celebrate Halloween, so it was up to the discretion of the school’s principal and vice-principal. There were no other rules to follow besides keeping the treats at the school for 32 hours before being shared among students.

Each person’s decision on how they want to celebrate Halloween gives other people the option of trick-or-treating safely or doing other spooky activities.