Last week New Jersey neighborhoods witnessed Halloween… but with a twist! Due to Covid-19, new guidelines were established by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Camden County, as well as Governor Phil Murphy, to maintain the safety of ourselves and those around us.
Halloween is a day when people of all ages can enjoy some holiday fun. In order to continue the festivities, proposals tailored to the general public were made to provide new guidelines on how to have a spooky, fun time while ensuring everyone’s safety. Additionally, Governor Murphy released various guidelines for New Jersey counties to follow on October 31st.
Cherry Hill Township officials provided those who feel uncomfortable handing out candy with signs that state, “Sorry! No Candy Here. Treat You Next Year.” Cherry Hill did not change the hours for trick-or-treating from past years beginning, keeping the hours from 3 p.m. through 7 p.m. While trick-or-treating took place, police patrolled the streets in cars and bikes, making sure COVID-19 precautions were being taken.
The CDC strongly encouraged those who were participating in Halloween to adhere to its recommended safety measures such as wearing masks, maintaining a distance of six feet from others, and frequently using hand sanitizer. Washing hands immediately upon returning home was also suggested.
Prior to Halloween, Kiran Muttathil (‘23), expressed her agreement with the CDC reccomendations when discussing her younger brother’s plans to trick or treat. She said, “it’s definitely non-negotiable that [his] friends will need to be wearing masks and keep a fair amount of distance.”
Governor Murphy reminded the public that a costume mask is not equivalent to a medical mask. He also said that groups should stay local and be limited to members of your household. Murphy also announced that the tradition of “trunk or treating” would be allowed to continue; however, the number of cars should be limited and socially distanced to make for a safer night and environment.
Residents were also encouraged to give out candy in individual bags so kids would avoid reaching into a bowl and potentially spreading germs.
Muttathil also expressed that Covid-19 impacted her family’s Halloween plans this year because they wore gloves while handing out candy “so that it hasn’t been touched by hundreds of little hands.”
Although many chose to continue their Halloween traditions with safety precautions, other households chose to refrain from these events. Amanda Rosten (‘21) said, “I usually make plans to hang out with my friends, but it was a lot harder to coordinate with them because of the restrictions.”