County Discourages Trick-or-Treating; Recommends Alternative Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Halloween is on Saturday and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants people to find new ways to participate.

According to the CDC, “Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses.” The health institute said that includes door-to-door trick-or-treating and even trunk-or-treating, where cars gather in a parking lot and treats are handed out from trunks. Health officials want residents to find different ways to celebrate.

Following CDC guidance, Montgomery County recommends activities like online parties, car parades and Halloween movie nights at a drive-in theater.

Under County Executive Marc Elrich’s current COVID-19 executive order, people are not permitted to partake in activities involving more than 50 people. Therefore, large Halloween events—even if they occur outdoors—are not allowed. The county does not allow “[c]arnivals, festivals, live entertainment, and haunted house attractions” unless it has granted a letter of approval for the specific event.

About Maryam Shahzad

Maryam is a reporter with Montgomery Community Media. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. Previously, she was an intern with MCM. She can be reached at mshahzad@mymcmedia.org or on Twitter @maryam_mcm.

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