Trick-Or-Treat Safely In Plainfield Amid Pandemic

Abhinanda Datta
·3 min read

PLAINFIELD, IL — Halloween will have a much different feel in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trick-or-treating in large groups and hosting parties are against recommendations, but some people have found creative ways to keep the spirit of the annual Oct. 31 holiday.

Trick-or-treating is on in Plainfield. This year, trick-or-treating hours will be from 4-8 p.m. on Oct. 31. Safety guidelines issued by the village are:

  • Residents should turn on their porch lights and consider contact-free options for giving out candies.

  • Those that are feeling unwell, have recently returned from a trip to a hotspot state, have come in contact with someone that has the coronavirus or are awaiting test results from themselves, have been asked not to participate in trick-or-treating.

  • Parents who take their kids out should have masks or face coverings on and incorporate masks in their children's costumes as well to contain the spread of the virus.

  • Trick-or-treating should be done as a household and social distancing needs to be maintained.

  • No one is allowed to enter the homes.

  • All treats should be checked in a well-lit area and only unopened candies should be eaten.

  • People are asked to carry a flashlight, glow stick or wear reflective tape to make costumes more visible to cars.

  • Homes that do not wish to participate in trick-or-treating should keep their porch lights turned off. They can also print out the flyer prepared by the village and paste it on their windows to let others know. The flyer can be found on the village website.

Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, where treats are handed directly to children, is considered a high-risk activity this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unlike St. Patrick’s Day, when the pandemic was just a few days old, Halloween enthusiasts have had time to prepare for different kinds of celebrations this year.

Building a candy chute has been touted as a fast and fairly simple way to ensure trick-or-treaters can get the sweets without contact.

An Arlington, Virginia, woman told the Washington, D.C., ABC affiliate she bought a PVC pipe, had the kids paint it orange and black, decorated it and attached it to the porch.

Transforming a front yard into a candy graveyard and holding a Halloween egg hunt are among 14 other ideas for low-contact trick-or-treating shared by Fun365, a website that offers party, wedding and classroom ideas.

Lower-risk activities recommended by the CDC include carving pumpkins, decorating the house, having a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt and a virtual costume contest.

“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,” the CDC states.

Before kids go out trick or treating on Halloween, it is also a good idea to take an inventory of who is living in your neighborhood. Plainfield currently has 43 registered sex offenders listed on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.

Check out the map with their addresses here.

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This article originally appeared on the Plainfield Patch