Revere Board of Health Issues Additional Safety Guidance for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos
October 28, 2020
Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating is strongly discouraged and indoor gatherings remain enforceable
**** Instead, Families Encouraged to attend City-Sponsored “Spooktacular Lane” ****
REVERE, MA — Today the Revere Board of Health issued an emergency order strongly discouraging traditional, door-to-door trick-or-treating and reiterated that indoor gatherings remain enforceable by local authorities. Traditional trick-or-treating has been deemed by the CDC as a "high-risk" activity due to potential for direct and close contact, inability to maintain social distance, and potential exposure of vulnerable individuals to asymptomatic individuals who are unknowingly carrying the virus.
Residents are strongly encouraged to consider lower risk activities such as the Department of Parks and Recreation’s “Spooktacular Lane,” which has been planned in accordance with COVID-19 safety guidance. More than 1,090 kids will participate in this event, and 461 cars have registered.
Today the Revere Board of Health recorded 27 new cases of COVID-19 in the City of Revere. The City is averaging 30.9 new cases a day and its 7 day average per capita is 56.1, more than five times the number that establishes Revere as a "high risk", or red, community. Last week the City had the third-highest per capita positive case rate in Massachusetts.
Residents are advised to evaluate their personal risk level and that of their direct contacts, and to make a plan that lowers the risk of contracting COVID-19 during celebrations:
- If you are feeling ill, have tested positive for COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, stay at home and seek guidance from your healthcare provider.
- Do not attend any indoor gatherings with people you don’t live with. Gatherings that do not comply with Governor Baker’s Executive Order remain enforceable.
- If you are an older adult or have an underlying health condition that puts you at greater risk of complications from COVID-19, or if you live with an individual at higher-risk, do not hand out treats to children. Keep the lights off and wait until next year.
- If you do plan to provide treats to trick or treaters, you should take the following precautions as advised be the Massachusetts Department of Public Health:
- Enjoy Halloween outside rather than attending indoor events.
- Place candy on a platter instead of a bowl.
- Instead of traditional trick or treating, opt for one-way trick-or-treating, with treats placed outside of the home for trick-or-treaters as a “grab and go” while keeping distance from others.
- Consider leaving hand sanitizer by any treats left out for trick-or-treaters to use.
- Wear a face mask or face covering.
- A costume mask is not a substitute for a face mask or face covering. To protect yourself and others, ensure you are wearing a protective face mask or covering instead of or in addition to a costume mask.
- Observe good hand hygiene, including hand washing and use of alcohol-based sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol. Carry hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces and before eating candy.
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