Despite outbreaks of COVID-19 in Ocean County, and anxiety of a resurgence amid flu season and colder weather, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that Halloween celebrations are still a go.
While Halloween is celebrated in many parts of the world, former-Gov. Chris Christie made the decision in 2012 to postpone Halloween, as Superstorm Sandy traveled up north and slammed into the New York City region.
The New Jersey Department of Health “is today releasing its guidance for local officials, schools, and outside organizations and businesses to help ensure a safe Halloween for our communities,” Murphy said at a COVID-19 press briefing Monday afternoon in Trenton. “Yes, Halloween is on.”
Children and adults would be encouraged to wear masks, Murphy said, cautioning that “a costume mask does not count as it does not provide the necessary level of protection.”
Trick-or-treaters should limit the groups to their household members, “consider staying local and limit the number of homes on their route,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. Six-foot physical distancing should be maintained with non-household members.
Murphy cautioned that New Jerseyans should avoid a typical Halloween practice of “placing treats directly in the bags of trick-or-treaters or filling communal bowls that multiple hands will be reaching into” – making them high-contact surfaces.
Candy and other treats should instead “be arranged in such a way that they can be quickly and safely accessed without multiple pieces being touched.”
Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli speaks at Gov. Phil Murphy’s daily COVID-19 press briefing at the George Washington Ballroom, Trenton War Memorial on June 16, 2020. – POOL PHOTO BY MICHAEL MANCUSO | NJ ADVANCE MEDIA FOR NJ.COM
Persichilli said New Jerseyans could “arrange individually packaged candy so that trick-or-treaters can grab and go without accessing a shared bowl.”
“If you are handing out candy… please limit interactions or contact with trick or treaters,” Persichilli said – and to regularly wash hands and practice physical distancing.
And community Halloween events should be held outdoors, Murphy said, and they will be bound to public gathering limits.
For indoors, they are 25 people or 25 percent capacity, whichever is lower. And for the outdoors, they are limited to 500 people. Social distancing and face coverings are required.
“We know that in numerous communities, Halloween is more than just a fun activity, but a real tradition,” the governor said. “We want to ensure that everyone has the chance to have an enjoyable Halloween, but we also want to ensure that everyone does so safely and responsibly.”
