Gloucester encourages safe Halloween

Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the city of Gloucester has recently issued safer plans, and recommendations to let the fall holiday continue.

Gloucester officials encourage residents to participate in trick- or-treating as safely as possible. “We want children and families to have a fun holiday, while making conscious, careful choices about how they celebrate this year amid the ongoing pandemic,”  Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken said. 

Trick or Treaters are required to do the following things: practice good hygiene, wear an approved facial mask, refrain from touching their face, maintain social distance and refrain from participating if feeling sick.   Additional recommendations are to keep groups small, bring sanitizer, stay outdoors, keep the activity family oriented and stay out of clustered groups. 

Officials enhance the fact that decorative costume Halloween masks are not approved. 

Residents who participate should leave individually wrapped treat bags on their porches or driveways. Or leave candy on a table instead of hand-passing treats from a bowl. Residents who choose not to participate are asked to shut off outdoor lighting as indication.

Instead of trick or treating, the city officials also encourage residents to participate in safe Halloween activities such as pumpkin carving, decorating your house, watching Halloween movies with family, or baking yourself a Halloween treat.