The City of Portage urges citizens to use discretion and exercise caution when participating in trick-or-treating and fall holiday celebrations during the months of October and November. If the decision is made to participate in trick-or-treating, please follow the recommendations and guidelines issued by the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS):
Homeowners:
- Do not hand out candy if you are sick.
- Wear a facemask that covers your mouth and nose.
- Use duct tape to mark 6-foot lines in front of your home and leading to your driveway/front door.
- Position a table between yourself and trick-or-treaters.
- Distribute candy on a disinfected table to eliminate direct contact.
- Consider handing out candy in an open space where distancing is possible, rather than from the front door.
- Consider a neighborhood costume parade, it is an easy way to keep safe space between children.
Parents & Trick-Or-Treaters
- Share with your children that this year may be different than last.
- Stay home if sick.
- Talk with your children about safety and social distancing guidelines and expectations. Keep a 6-foot distance from others not in your family group.
- Trick-or-treat with people you live with.
- Participate in one-way trick-or-treating and guide children to stay to the right to ensure social distancing.
- Wear a facemask covering BOTH your mouth and nose (a costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask).
- Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask if wearing both causes difficulty breathing. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
- Only go to houses with safety measures in place.
- Inspect candy.
- Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol, especially before eating or after coughing/sneezing, and as soon as you return home.
The Kalamazoo County Health & Human Services Department recommends following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and celebrating in a manner that reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19 and placing a stronger emphasis on low-risk Halloween activities. These include: carving or decorating pumpkins, creating cards for older adults in Long Term Car Facilities to spread holiday cheer, doing a Halloween scavenger hunt, having virtual/online costume parties, going to Halloween movie nights at drive-in theatres, and dressing up homes and yards with Halloween decorations. For a complete list of recommendation and guidance for trick-or-treating and fall holiday celebrations from Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services, the MDHHS, and the CDC, please see the links below.
Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services/MDHHS
CDC Recommendations
