We received this email on October 26,2020 from Juanita Roudabush, Shenandoah Town Manager regarding Trick or treating in the Town of Shenandoah.
Halloween, October 31st - See attached and below:
The Town of Shenandoah does not determine, enforce or coordinate Trick-or-Treating. If you have questions about if/when people will be trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, please talk to your neighbors.
Halloween Safety Tips for those who are planning to trick or treat:
Always keep in mind a few safety tips when trick or treating this Halloween:
Before trickor treating:
- Trick-or-Treat in familiar neighborhoods.
- Make certain costumes do not inhibit vision and will not cause tripping or falling.
- Teach children to never enter a person's home or vehicle.
- Pick a place to meet in case you get separated and write down emergency contacts.
While trick or treating:
- Trick or treat earlier in the evening to finish before it gets too dark.
- All Halloween Trick or Treaters should have a flashlight or a device that helps motorists be able to see you while walking through neighborhoods on dark roads.
- Children should never trick or treat alone and always be accompanied by an adult.
- Only approach homes that are familiar and well lit both inside and out.
- Walk with your head up and be aware of your surroundings.
- Stay out of the streets.
- Respect other people and their property.
- Motorists should be alert and watch out for pedestrians near the roadway.
- Report any suspicious individual or criminal activity to an adult or the police.
After trick or treating:
- Adults should examine children's candy before they consume it.
The Town of Shenandoah wishes the community a safe Halloween!
Halloween Events and COVID-19:
Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween
If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Reminder: A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask.
Celebrating Halloween may look different this year due to the spread of COVID-19. Please consider the Virginia Department of Health's recommendations for participating in Halloween event: English Spanish
Additional CDC guidance for Halloween
Juanita Roudabush
Town Manager/MMC
426 First Street
Shenandoah, Virginia 22849
540-652-3328 - phone
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We received the below email on September 23,2020 from Juanita Roudabush, Shenandoah Town Manager regarding Trick or treating in the Town of Shenandoah.
Trick or treating in the Town of Shenandoah has always been recognized to occur on October 31st, regardless of the day of the week that date falls on. Normally guidelines included those wanting trick or treaters are asked to leave a porch light on and it includes the guidance of ensuring children are supervised by an adult; children wear reflective clothing and outfits that fit properly that allow for good visibility and don't cause trip hazards; children should only trick or treat at homes they know and candy should always be inspected by adults. Curfew is 10 p.m.
Please note, the Town of Shenandoah does not currently have any special events sponsored for Halloween 2020, so there is nothing for our local government to cancel.
However, since we are in a COVID 19 pandemic, we wanted to ensure everyone was aware of the suggested guidance from both the state health department and the CDC, as well.
Therefore, attached is a 2-page document for guidance on Halloween events from the Virginia Department of Health. The attached guidance is from the Virginia Health Department and the link below is from the CDC for more guidance.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween
Come social distance with us at the following upcoming events:
Juanita Roudabush
Town Manager/MMC
426 First Street
Shenandoah, Virginia 22849
540-652-3328 - phone
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TownofShenandoahVA/
https://www.instagram.com/townofshenandoahva/
http://www.townofshenandoah.com/
Therefore, attached is a 2-page document for guidance on Halloween events from the Virginia Department of Health. The attached guidance is from the Virginia Health Department and the link below is from the CDC for more guidance.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween
VDH Interim Guidance for Participating in
Halloween Events
September 22,2020
While Halloween typically represents a time of fun and excitement for children and adults alike, the current
Halloween season will be different than prior years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In general, the more
closely people interact with each other and the longer that interaction lasts, the higher the risk of COVID-19
spread. The best way to avoid becoming infected is to avoid being exposed to the virus altogether. This is
particularly important for people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. This may mean choosing
not to participate in Halloween activities during the pandemic.
To protect against COVID-19, everyone should avoid close contact with people who do not live in their
household, wear a mask (cloth face covering), and practice social distancing and frequent and proper
hand washing. Some Halloween activities are higher risk than others. Read the information below to make
the best decision for your family about choosing to participate this year.
See CDC's Guidance for Holiday Celebrations for more information.
Lowest Risk:
Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look
for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household
members in or around your home rather than going house to house
Moderate Risk:
Participating in trick-or-treating with distancing strategies in place (e.g. treat-givers provide
individually wrapped goodie bags lined up for families to grab and go while continuing
to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)
If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water
for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags.
Stopping only at houses where individuals are wearing masks, and it is easy to
maintain six feet of distance between the host and other trick-or-treaters.
Attending a small, outside event such as trunk-or-treat, where social
distancing can be maintained and everyone is wearing a mask.
Visit pumpkin patches or orchards, where wearing masks is encouraged and
enforced, and people are able to maintain at least six feet of physical distance.
Highest Risk:
Trick-or-treating to a large number of houses or visiting multiple neighborhoods,
where participants go door to door
Trick-or-treating at houses where individuals are not wearing a mask, and where
six feet of physical distance is not maintained between individuals.
Attending parties or events that may become crowded and social distancing is difficult to maintain.
Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
Going to indoor haunted houses where people may be crowded together and screaming.
This Halloween season, events that involve large gatherings of individuals (e.g. large Halloween parties,
haunted houses, etc) can increase the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and are not recommended. These
events may involve large groups of people who cannot maintain social distancing, and are often in enclosed
spaces, which can increase the likelihood of COVID-19 spread. Haunted houses involve people screaming,
which is known to increase the production of respiratory droplets; such activities are particularly risky for
spreading COVID-19. Haunted houses that do choose to operate need to focus on how to reduce and limit
contact between attendees, staff and others and must strictly follow Phase 3 Guidelines for Entertainment
and Public Amusement settings. Haunted houses should allow for ample space between groups touring
the house to facilitate distancing, and should not decorate with materials/items that will hang in or touch
patron's faces. Setups that increase ventilation and allow a patron to navigate the attraction without touching
common surfaces (e.g. door knobs) further reduce risk. Haunted houses should also avoid using actors that
jump out at patrons, or ensure the actor maintains 10 feet of distancing between participants.
Trick-or-treating involves increased risk for transmitting COVID-19, due to the potential for close proximity
to many people and the difficulty for children trick-or-treaters to follow mask use and social distancing
recommendations. If you do choose to trick-or-treat, it is important to protect yourself using the following
recommendations:
1. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past ten days, or
have been in contact with someone with COVID in the past 14 days, follow VDH guidance
to stay home and away from others. If you are self-isolating or self-quarantining, do not
participate in trick-or-treating this year, and look for other virtual options to celebrate.
2. Be sure to maintain at least six six feet of distance between yourself
and others who do not live in your household at all times.
3. Wash your hands before going trick-or-treating or handing out candy. Hand sanitizer should be
used while trick-or-treating or handing out candy when soap and water aren't available.
4. Wear a cloth mask. Halloween masks may not fit snugly against the face and may not
cover the nose and mouth. Halloween masks with gaps and holes do not protect against
inhaling respiratory droplets from other people. Cloth masks should be worn under
costume masks to keep a close fit over your nose and mouth. Ensure that any cloth
mask worn under a costume mask does not inhibit the ability to breathe easily.
5. If you hand out candy, consider setting up an area outside, like a folding table or chairs, to set
out candy. Space out the placement of treats so that multiple people do not have to reach into
the same bowl or find contactless ways to deliver treats, like a candy chute that is more than six
feet long. For trunk-or-treating, create distance between cars by parking in every other space.
More information about COVID-19
The virus that causes COVID-19 is spread from person to person. Spread can occur when people are in
close contact with each other (within about six feet) through respiratory droplets when a person talks,
sneezes, or coughs or by direct contact with respiratory droplets through sharing eating or drinking
utensils, kissing, etc. COVID-19 can be spread by people who are not experiencing symptoms.
SHHR/Communications 2 September 22,2020
