FLINT, Michigan — Mayor Sheldon Neeley is urging residents to follow recommended safety protocols when trick-or-treating this Halloween. Flint families are invited to safely trick-or-treat on Halloween in the City of Flint from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 31, 2021.
“Last year, our children and families were unable to celebrate Halloween with traditional activities. This year we want to celebrate Halloween in a safe way while continuing to use extreme caution,” Mayor Neeley said.
The City of Flint is asking residents to go door-to-door trick-or-treating wearing a mask and for homeowners passing out candy to consider placing the candy on a table outside of their homes. Families are also encouraged to celebrate Halloween by attending events that follow COVID safety protocols.
Suggested Halloween safety tips
• Stick to outdoor activities — Go to a haunted corn maze or a truck-or-treat rather than a haunted house.
• Limit exposure — Do not use Halloween as an opportunity to widen your social circle. Stick with the people you’ve been socializing with and have been around.
• Wash before wear — If you plan to wear your costume multiple times on different days, disinfect your mask before wearing it.
• Map it out — For older kids who want to trick-or-treat without parental supervision, perhaps make a map to track with whom they’re interacting.
• Fact check — Get the most recent guidelines on the CDC’s website and double check claims seen on social media.
Both the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines for trick-or-treating last year that could be helpful for this year. Those recommendations include:
• Do not participate if you are sick.
• Wear a cloth mask that covers both the mouth and nose.
• Wash hands often or frequently use hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Maintaining social distancing of at least six feet.
• Use duct tape to mark spaces 6 feet apart for lines.
• Distribute candy outside, not in your doorway.
• Use a no contact method of distributing treats such as a disinfected table or candy tube.
Here are some downloadable flyers created by MDHHS with guidance on how to celebrate safely.
The latest Coronavirus information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.
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