Lloydminster residents are asked to follow the Government of Saskatchewan’s guidelines when heading out to trick-or-treat this Halloween.
The province is emphasizing physical distancing for the season’s events and encourages residents to wait turns when visiting houses. Residents handing out candy or treats are asked to sanitize high touch areas, avoid direct physical contact and space out visitors by two metres using markers.
They also recommend alternatives to trick-or-treating such as costume viewing through windows, decorating households and yards for distanced viewing and a costume parade while physical distancing this year.
Residents are reminded to not participate in any events if they are feeling sick or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
The province has released the following list of guidelines residents safety for trick-or-treating:
- Maintain a two metre distance between individuals who are not in the same household/cohort at all times
- Physical distancing must be used when approaching houses at groups should wait turns before approaching a house
- Neighbourhoods anticipating a high volume of trick-or-treaters should place tape markers every two metres between doorways and sidewalks to promote physical distancing
- Trick-or-treaters and people giving out treats should have no direct physical contact and practicing good hand hygiene is recommended when handing out treats
- Tools such as tongs are recommended for giving out treats at a distance
- People should only be giving out store-bought wrapped treats
- The province recommends cleaning the candy wrappers with disinfectant wipes or holding the treats for 72 hours before eating them
- Doorknobs, door bells and other common touch surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected frequently
- Trick-or-treaters area encouraged to bring hand sanitizer with them and consider using a mask as part of their costume
- People handing out candy should also consider wearing a mask where a two metre distance cannot be maintained
- Only one household member is recommended to hand out candy during the event
With indoor gatherings set at a maximum of 30 people in a space that allows for physical distancing, the province has provided the following recommendations for haunted houses.
- Organizers must implement one-way traffic flow to promote physical distancing such as making a dedicated entrance and exit
- Use markings or dividers and visual cues in common areas to ensure physical distancing between non-household/extended household members
- Non-medical masks are recommended and hand sanitizer should be made available for everyone before, during and after visiting the haunted house
- Ensure common and high touch surfaces are cleaned and disinfected frequently
- Walk-though times between groups must be a minimum of 10 minutes apart to avoid congestion
A full list of guidelines for fall events can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan website.