The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WASHINGTON—The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released a set of guidelines to help keep communities healthy with Halloween just a few weeks away.

When planning your Halloween celebration, it is important to bear in mind that Governor Inslee’s Safe Start plan limitations are still in effect. Walla Walla County remains in Phase 2 of the reopening plan. As a general reminder, folks must limit gatherings to less than five people who do not live in your household, and group members must remain six feet apart. Face masks are required when out in public spaces, even while trick-or-treating should your family choose to participate. Avoid confined spaces, mostly indoors, and stay home if you feel ill or have been around someone who feels unwell.

As COVID-19 cases continue to climb across the state, health officials encourage families to get creative and partake in Halloween festivities at home. Online costume contests or pumpkin carving contests and at-home Halloween scavenger hunts are just a couple of suggestions for a safe Halloween.

Health officials are urging against trunk-or-treat nights, worrying that events of that nature would encourage crowding around treat bowls and violate gathering restrictions as outlined in the Safe Start plan. Indoor trick-or-treating is being highly discouraged, and indoor haunted houses are not permitted. Traditional trick-or-treating, involving groups of kids going door to door, asking for treats and showing off their costumes, is discouraged by the DOH who has provided some safer trick-or-treating guidelines for this year.

If families choose to take children trick-or-treating, plan on packing lots of hand sanitizer to use between each stop. Cloth face-coverings are required for everyone over the age of two: plastic masks from costumes cannot be used in place of cloth masks. Stick with groups of household members, and be sure to stay at least six feet away from people who do not live in your home.

For everyone who wants to hand out treats (and avoid tricks) this year, the DOH suggests individually-wrapped treats. This will reduce the number of people touching the contents of a communal bowl. Leaving bowls of treats in your driveway or on your front step minimizes the likelihood of crowds gathering at your front door and lessens the chance for exposure to the virus.

People are being encouraged to watch trick-or-treaters from a distance, by sitting in the home’s garage, or at a table on the front porch, staying at least six feet away. Use pumpkins or mini-pumpkins to families socially distance while they wait their turn at the candy bowl - much more festive than tape!

In Walla Walla County, COVID-19 cases are on a downward trend. Be safe this Halloween, stay distanced, stick with your family, and help the COVID-19 count remain on track to zero! Stay current with state Coronavirus news by visiting http://www.doh.wa.gov/emergencies/COVID19.