On Monday, September 21, 2020 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced their recommendations for how to safely celebrate Halloween this year. Many worry about how these new guidelines will affect their Halloween and others wonder if these guidelines will be followed at all  

The CDC recommends to stay away from door-to-door trick or treating, trunk or treating, all indoor haunted houses, and Halloween parties in order to be safe this Halloween. In order to keep everyone safe and prevent the spread of the virus, everyone will need to make sacrifices.

The CDC also suggested safe alternatives such as watching Halloween movies outdoors, socially distanced outdoor parties, and visiting outdoor pumpkin patches with proper face coverings. They also say if you’re going to watch scary movies, to do it distantly if there will be screaming since screaming spreads the virus.

As for family activities to do together, the CDC recommends families do low risk activities at home. For example, Halloween scavenger hunts, pumpkin carving, and even Halloween themed games. 

It is important to note that costume masks are not substitutes for protective face masks, and that the combination of a costume mask and a face mask would make it hard to breathe. The CDC recommends using a Halloween themed, protective face mask.

These recommendations by the CDC are only suggestions, and everyone will make their own choice for how to spend Halloween this year. Although Trick or Treating has been banned in some counties with higher cases, for example Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County only urges residences to consider safer alternatives. 

The CDC knows that not everyone will follow these recommendations so they also said that quarantining fourteen plus days before trick or treating is a good idea. They also suggest everyone wears proper protective face masks, disposable plastic gloves, and waits seventy two plus hours before eating treats in order to let the germs die off. 

Sophomore Jadyn Major thinks that “These are extreme recommendations that no one will follow.  If they want people to be safe this Halloween, maybe they shouldn’t be so strict. I feel that the CDC is stopping kids from being kids, and kids should be able to go trick or treating without having to go through all the extreme measures.” 

 As for people handing out candy, the CDC asks for people to either leave candy outside to avoid contact or to take extreme measures while handing candy out. 

Sultana science Teacher, Mr. Wake states, “I don’t like the recommendation but I understand it. My oldest son is just getting old enough to trick or treat and going around to strangers houses is a little uncomfortable anyway. However, we plan on visiting only with close family and friends. The CDC is doing its job to slow the spread of a virus. Whether people heed their recommendations is out of their control. If you do not want to risk getting COVID, I would listen to them.” Mr. Wake makes it clear that not everyone disagrees with the CDC.

Katelyn Smith, a Sultana sophomore says, “I think that trick or treating in the middle of a global pandemic is irresponsible, even if you go about it “safely.” I feel that people going door to door this Halloween will create a dramatic spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. With seeing how many people disregard the current guidelines in place, I can’t imagine very many people will follow the CDC’s recommendations while partaking in  Halloween activities.” With COVID cases already on the rise nationwide, Halloween could tip the scale in the wrong direction.   

The CDC had strong recommendations about how to celebrate Halloween this year. How well people will follow them is undetermined.  We can only hope everyone stays safe this Halloween no matter how they choose to celebrate.