FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 12, 2020
Contact: Dr. Marti Sharkey
City Health Officer
msharkey@fayetteville-ar.gov
Halloween Guidelines Issued by Board of Health, City Health Officer
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. The Fayetteville Board of Health is asking the residents of Fayetteville to participate in lower risk activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are asking you to please adhere to the following guidelines:
Participate in safe alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating:
- Small group, outdoor costume parades
- Outdoor pumpkin carving/decorating while social distancing
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while walking in their neighborhood
- Having an Easter egg hunt-style trick-or-treat search
Activities to avoid:
- Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
- Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
- Going to a haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
Alternative trick-or-treating:
- All pedestrian traffic should flow in the same direction
- Only trick-or-treat with members of the same household
- Wear a mask (see below) and maintain social distancing of at least six feet
- Individually wrapped goodie bags or treats are lined up for families to grab and go at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard
- If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags
The safe use of masks:
- A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask
- A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose
- Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe
- Consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask
Please check the City’s www.fayetteville-ar.gov/covid19 webpage to keep up to date on information for Fayetteville residents and businesses, including links to state- and city-level COVID-19 numbers, Arkansas Department of Health directives and helpful resources during the pandemic.
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