PHOENIX — It’s that time of year with pumpkin patch visits, corn mazes and of course, picking out the perfect costume for yourself and the little ones in your life to head out trick-or-treating.
But what will Halloween really look like this year?
And how should we be handling trick-or-treating this year to stay safe in a world where COVID cases are still circulating?
“We’ve been going around the neighborhood and looking at all of the decorations,” said Jordanne Palleson, a Gilbert mom of two. “This year is going to be a big year for us.”
With a 3-year-old and 4-month-old, they can’t wait to head out all dressed up to go trick-or-treating.
“We’re really excited this year, just to actually get out there and be outside,” she said.
But with the excitement comes COVID precautions.
“With COVID still circulating, we also want to make sure our family is being safe for ourselves and for others,” Palleson said. “This year, we’re just doing a lot of the commonsense things like using hand sanitizer, wearing masks, keeping distance outdoors when we’re trick-or-treating.”
Dr. Shad Marvasti with the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine in Phoenix reflects on where we were a year ago.
“Remember last year we had no vaccine, and we were basically just on the upsurge,” he said.
But this year, the dynamics have changed some.
“I think we can’t go completely big back to normal, but I think we can have more peace of mind because there are more folks who are vaccinated,” Marvasti said.
Shad said this year's Halloween still won't be like years past, but it can still be fun provided parents and kids are following the CDC’s trick-or-treating guidelines.
“Making sure to keep your hands clean and sanitized is one part of it… making sure that we do things mostly outdoors and having either masks or distancing appropriately outdoors,” he said.
Shad said COVID is still a concern, so we should avoid packed indoor settings without masks but taking part in outdoor activities is okay.
By taking safety precautions, you can still enjoy the holiday while minimizing the risks of COVID-19, just like Dr. Shad has done.
“We did take them out last year with a small group… and we just try to keep distance as much as possible and we’ll probably do the same thing again this year,” he said.
COVID-19 News and Updates
Subscribe to the 12 News YouTube channel to receive notifications on the latest videos about the latest information on the coronavirus.