COVID cost us Ski to Sea, Fourth of July fireworks and the fair, is Halloween next?
We’re still more than a month away from Oct. 31, but practically every day so far in 2020 has seemed like something straight out a Halloween horror film. From COVID-19 to devastating wildfires and so many other difficult events, we’ve all endured more than enough to fill a few Stephen King novels this year.
We deserve a day to actually celebrate like normal . . . wait, we can actually celebrate on Halloween, right?
Halloween hasn’t gone the way of the Northwest Washington Fair, Ski to Sea, Fourth of July Fireworks and just about everything else we annually look forward to just yet, but the Whatcom County Health Department advises using caution.
“We continue to recommend that people avoid higher-risk activities and substitute lower-risk ones,” Whatcom County Health Officer Dr. Greg Stern said in a statement to The Bellingham Herald.
Stern’s statement came after The Herald asked Whatcom Unified Command and the health department if in-person trick-or-treating would be discouraged in Whatcom County this year after Skagit County health officials recommended against it on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
“In Whatcom County we’re waiting to hear from the state Department of Health, in order to be able to coordinate our messaging with public health colleagues,” Whatcom Unified spokesperson Amy Cloud wrote in an email.
Until that time, Cloud suggested the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said that most fall holidays will “likely need to be different this fall to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
Unfortunately, according to the CDC, most usual Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading the virus. Included among the activities the CDC recommends avoiding are trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating, crowded costume parties, indoor haunted houses, hayrides or tractor rides, using alcohol or drugs that can lead to less safe decisions and traveling to fall festivals not in your community.
“There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween,” the CDC said, including:
▪ Carving or decorating pumpkins with your household and displaying them, or carving pumpkins outside, at a safe distance with neighbors or friends.
▪ Decorating your home in a Halloween theme.
▪ Creating a Halloween scavenger hunt by giving children a list of Halloween-themed things to look for as they walk from house to house to see decorations at a distance.
▪ Holding a virtual Halloween costume contest.
▪ Enjoying a Halloween movie night with your household.
▪ Holding a scavenger hunt-style candy search within your household, rather than going door-to-door.
The CDC also offered suggestions for how to make moderate-risk Halloween activities safer, such as:
▪ Creating one-way trick-or-treating, where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up at the end of the driveway or edge of the yard for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance.
▪ Holding small group, outdoor, open-air costumed parades, where people are socially distanced at least 6 feet apart.
▪ Attending costume parties outdoors, where protective face coverings are worn and people remain socially distanced, though remember a costume mask is not an alternative for a face covering and do not wear a costume mask over a face covering, as it can make it hard to breathe.
▪ Take a trip to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate face coverings and social distancing are required. Greater social distancing is recommended if screaming is involved.
▪ Visit a pumpkin patch where hand sanitizer is used before touching pumpkins.
▪ Go to an orchard and pick apples while wearing face coverings and staying socially distanced.
▪ Hold an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends, staying spaced 6 feet apart and wearing face coverings.
Of course, if you have COVID-19 or may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, do not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and do not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Ghosting, PNW style
Whatcom Community College announced another socially distanced way to celebrate the Halloween season this year, as it will offer “Ghosts of the Pacific Northwest” — a look inside the hidden history and current efforts to search for ghostly phenomena in the region.
The event, which will be held on Zoom, will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.
Instructor Matthew Thuney and ghost investigator Brian Lee will “explore the eerie phenomenon of the spirit world, from the beginnings of our haunted human history to sightings and encounters right here in Whatcom County,” according to a news release.
“Whatcom County is no stranger to ghostly phenomena, many steeped in rich traditions and legends. ... We’ll delve into some of our civilization’s strangest reported experiences with the spectral realm and also discuss some local ghost hunts,” the release states.
Registration is $45 and can be made by contacting WCC Community and Continuing Education at 360-383-3200 or emailing comed@whatcom.ctc.edu.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
