Public Health Releases Guidelines for Halloween
From the Chaffee County Department of Public Health:
Public Health Recommends Cautionary Measures for Halloween Festivities
Per the guidance of Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) asks residents to help
minimize the spread of COVID-19 while celebrating Halloween.
Colorado’s COVID-19 dial can help determine how to celebrate safely. Based on Chaffee County’s
current status of Level 2 Safer at Home on the dial, CCPH encourages residents to consider the
following lower-risk activities:
● Throw a neighborhood face mask decorating party, with guests limited to 10.
● Attend an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest, pumpkin patch or corn maze.
● Host an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family and friends.
● For all of these activities, everyone should wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth
and remain at least 6 feet apart from one another.
Although the above lower-risk activities are acceptable at this time, it’s important to keep in mind
that lots of people participating in lower-risk activities at the same time could raise the potential
for disease spread across the county.
Regardless of Chaffee County’s current level, individuals should not participate in any in-person
activities if they:
● Are sick, especially with COVID-19 symptoms.
● Have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are currently in the quarantine period.
● Recently tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in the isolation period.
Last but not least, CCPH asks all residents to avoid the following high-risk activities:
● Traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door-to-door.
● Indoor haunted houses and indoor crowded costume parties.
● Hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not from your household.
● A fall festival that is outside Chaffee County.
● Alcohol or drug consumption, as both can cloud judgment and increase risky behaviors.
“At CCPH, we continue to exercise caution in order to fight the spread of COVID-19 in our
community. We know it’s tough to be deprived of tradition, especially during the holidays.
However, collaborative efforts to slow the spread of the virus, in every season, will help us get to a
better, healthier situation in the days to come,” said CCPH Director Andrea Carlstrom.
As a reminder, the following guidelines apply to all seasons and activities:
● Outdoor gatherings are generally safer than indoor gatherings.
● Smaller groups are generally safer than larger groups.
● Shorter gatherings are generally safer than longer gatherings.
● Individuals with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should consider the risks
versus benefits before participating in an activity.
To view the CDC’s Halloween activities categorized by risk level, visit
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween. To learn
more about the state’s tips and tricks, visit https://covid19.colorado.gov/halloween-tips-and-
tricks. For questions or additional ideas, contact CCPH at 719-539-4510.