Enjoy a COVID-19 Halloween in N.L. with these tips from Dr. Fitzgerald
Trick-or-treating is a go for Halloween across Newfoundland and Labrador, but the province's chief medical officer of health says there are still some pandemic precautions everyone should follow to ensure it's celebrated safely.
A month ago, the provincial government gave the green light to the holiday, which has been curtailed in some other parts of Canada as caseloads of COVID-19 rise.
As of Tuesday, with four active cases in N.L., Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said costumed kids are free to collect their hauls of candy Saturday night, although parents may want to tag along — even with older kids — to ensure excitement doesn't overtake physical distancing.
"We would ask that people be respectful, and that you wait at the end of a driveway or end of a walkway and let one group of trick-or-treaters leave, before another group would come up, rather than having two or three groups congregate on the steps all at one time," Fitzgerald told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show on Wednesday, in her first one-on-one interview with CBC since the pandemic began.
People handing out candy also need to keep sanitation top of mind, she said, by washing their hands often and wearing non-medical masks when they answer the door. Letting kids reach into a bowl to pick out treats isn't a good idea, she said.
"If possible, consider wrapping treats prior to Halloween night. So you put them in a bag, a paper bag, prior to the night, and that way then you can just pass the treats out with less touching of the actual treats themselves," she said.
Current research suggests transmission of COVID-19 via objects is low, particularly on cardboard or paper surfaces, and letting such paper treat bags sit out for a length of time will diminish risk, she said. Letting candy sit around for a few hours at the minimum once home is also a good idea, she said.
Neither handing out candy nor trick-or-treating should happen if a person is ill or supposed to be self-isolating, she said.
Remember, no dancing
While some bars in St. John's are advertising Halloween parties on Saturday, Fitzgerald said even in costume the regular rules, like no dancing and seated table service, still apply.
"That will be the expectation in that situation, and certainly we'll be monitoring," she said.
Fitzgerald noted social gatherings, particularly involving young adults, have driven some case increases elsewhere in Canada, so people should stick to their usual bubble.
"We are really cautious about social gatherings," she said.
But even in that bubble, she said, avoid bobbing for apples, decorating cookies, or other activities that carry a high risk of transmission.
Christmas, and Cuba?
Fitzgerald credited Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with keeping up on public health measures, which she said had made a difference as cases rise elsewhere and travel-related cases in this province are contained.
"Up to this point, people have been following the rules, people have been self-isolating, and that certainly has made a difference to the spread of COVID-19," she said.
Public health officials are also already well underway trying to create policies for Christmas.
"The expectation is that we'll see an increase in travel, we'll have some students coming home, those sorts of things. So those are discussions that we're actively having at the moment and trying to develop some guidance and polices around Christmas and what we'll do for that," she said.
As for another favourite winter activity — flying far away from the province, preferably south — Fitzgerald had some bad news.
While a Halifax-based travel agency is selling seats for weeklong Cuban vacations at a resort booked exclusively for Atlantic Canadians, Fitzgerald said it isn't a good idea.
"Public health is not recommending international travel at this time that is non-essential," she said.
"While we would all love to be able to jet somewhere warm as the cold weather comes, and it's been a particularly hard year — there's no doubt about that — I think the risk at this point would not warrant the benefits that you would get from it."
