Halloween and COVID-19: How to have a spooktacular time while staying COVID Safe

In previous years, Halloween is a night where streets are filled with crowds jumping aboard the trick or treat train. But what will it look like this year given the COVID-19 pandemic?

As community transmissions of COVID-19 remain low across the state, NSW Health is supporting individuals participating in COVID-safe Halloween celebrations, however, are encouraging that all participants engage in COVID-safe practices.   

Below are some fang-tastic COVID-safe tips for those planning to hand out treat or trick-or-treat.

COVID-safe tips if you plan to hand out treats

• If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 over Halloween, stay home, don’t receive Halloween visitors and get tested immediately
• If you are self-isolating, don’t answer the door to trick-or-treaters
• Make it a front-yard event, not at the front-door of your house. Keep your celebrations outdoors and get creative in decorating the front yard
• Only hand out individually wrapped treats
• Don’t use communal lolly bowls. Consider other ways of distributing treats such as hanging them individually on your fence, front gate or up your driveway
• Offer hand sanitiser at your front gate or fence
• You may wish to avoid people knocking on your door by putting up a sign that says “We are home but due to COVID-19, we are distancing. Please take one, Happy Halloween”
• Remember, you can only have 20 people on your property at one time.

COVID-safe tips if you plan to trick-or-treat

• If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 this Halloween, stay home and give trick-or-treating a miss this year. Get tested immediately
• Keep it local by staying in your suburb rather than going to well-known “treat streets” that attract crowds
• Celebrate outside, don’t go to people’s front door
• Stay in small household groups (for example a supervising adult and children from the same household) rather than groups of young people together. Remember, no more than 30 people can gather outside in a public place
• Stay 1.5 meters away from people you don’t live with
• Only take treats that are individually wrapped
• Use a disposable bag to collect your treats, and dispose of it appropriately afterwards
• Don’t share your treats with others from different households
• Don’t share costumes or costume face masks
• Carry hand sanitiser with you and use it often, especially after touching common surfaces.

Help us stop the spread this Halloween.

Get tested at the first sign of symptoms. Click here to find your nearest testing clinic.