CHATHAM – Chatham officials reminding trick-or-treaters to venture out on Halloween night safely during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Kids are just going to want to go trick-or-treating,” Select Board Chair Shareen Davis said, “and kids and candy, it can be a little crazy.”
Town officials have contemplated hosting alternative events to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within the community.
Drive-by trick-or-treating and an event sponsored by the town were pitched leading up to October 31.
The Elkanah neighborhood has become a popular spot for trick-or-treaters throughout the years, and Selectmen Cory Metters said that the area could be a destination for families in a matter of days, even in the middle of a pandemic.
Because of that, he said that the town should be ready.
“I think the responsible thing to do is to have some kind of resources to assist, in some way, fire and police, to make that as safe as possible,” Metters said.
Chatham officials are reminding residents to stay safe this Halloween. Practices such as hand sanitizing and face mask wearing–one designed to stop the spread of the virus, and not just a costume mask–should continue, they said.