State Health shares tips to have a spooky safe Halloween

COLORADO (KRDO)-- The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) doesn't want COVID-19 to haunt your house this year. Celebrating Halloween is a cherished fall tradition for many people. Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines, many Coloradans are now protected from the virus. But COVID-19 is still spreading in Colorado. It’s still important to take precautions for a safer Halloween, especially for children who are too young to get the vaccine.

The best way to protect yourself and your family from COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, according to CDPHE. Everyone age 12 and older can get a COVID-19 vaccine. Science shows that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and very effective at preventing infections. Even more importantly, the vaccines help prevent serious illness for those who do get infected, even with delta variant.

Here are some ideas from CDPHE about how to celebrate safely:

Protect yourself and others

• Avoid in-person celebrations if you:
  • Are sick, especially with COVID-19 symptoms. 
  • Have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are currently in quarantine.
  • Have recently tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently isolating.
• People aged 2 and older who are not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places.
• Consider wearing a mask even if you are fully vaccinated.
• People with weakened immune systems may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated. If you are immunocompromised, consider talking to your health care provider about getting an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as what precautions you should continue to take.  

Choose safer activities for children under 12

• Right now, children under 12 can’t get vaccinated against COVID-19. Until a vaccine becomes available for younger children, the best thing parents can do is to get vaccinated themselves.
• One of the easiest ways to make an activity safer for unvaccinated children age 2 and older is to ask your child to wear a mask. If accompanying adults wear masks as well, this may help normalize and encourage mask-wearing for children. 
• Gather with family members and close friends who you know have been vaccinated. If all other attendees at an activity are vaccinated, the risk to unvaccinated children is low. 

Choose the safest options for everyone

• Outdoor gatherings are generally safer than indoor gatherings.
• Smaller groups are generally safer than larger groups. 
• Shorter gatherings are generally safer than longer gatherings.

Costume masks vs. COVID-19 masks

• Costume masks are not a substitute for masks that protect against COVID-19. Masks that protect against COVID-19 should be made from two or more breathable fabric layers that cover the nose and mouth, with no gaps around the face. Wear COVID-19-protective masks when indoors or if you are not fully vaccinated.
• If wearing a costume mask over a cloth mask makes it hard to breathe, consider a Halloween-themed cloth mask as part of the costume instead.

Find all CDPHE Halloween tips and tricks, here.