City of Pasadena Issues Guidance for Celebrating Halloween Safely

News & Announcements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 8, 2020 (corrected)

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:

Lisa Derderian, Pasadena Public Information Officer, City Manager’s Office, (626) 744-4755, lderderian@cityofpasadena.net

 

City of Pasadena Issues Guidance for Celebrating Halloween Safely

PASADENA, Calif.— COVID continues to impact our families and our traditions as we move into the Fall season.  It is another difficult milestone to think of Halloween without the block parties, gatherings and many of the other activities that we and our children look forward to every year.  We all recognize that many traditions are “high risk” activities that can spread this disease.  There are protocols from the state and county and local health departments which continue to limit our activities and which provide guidance for celebrating safely, including safer alternatives that still promote as festive an environment as is possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under existing state, county and local orders, community members may participate in the following activities as long as they adhere to the City’s Safer at Home Order and related protocols:

Halloween activities NOT permitted include:

  • Indoor and outdoor gatherings/parties with non-household members;
  • Carnivals, festivals, live entertainment, rides, petting zoos, and haunted house attractions;
  • “Trunk-or-treating” events where children go from car-to-car to receive treats; and in the setting of a gathering or party;

 

Halloween activities NOT recommended include:

  • Door-to-door or car-to-car trick-or-treating because proper social distancing is difficult to maintain and sharing food is risky.

 

It is also important to keep the following precautions in mind when celebrating Halloween and other upcoming holidays: 

 

  • Wear a cloth face covering around others you don’t live with, whether you are indoors or outdoors.
  • Stay at least 6 feet away from anyone who doesn’t live with you, especially while talking, eating, drinking, and singing.
  • Avoid confined spaces; stay away from indoor spaces that do not allow for easy distancing of at least 6 feet between you and others.
  • Wash or sanitize your hands often.
  • Clean frequently-touched items regularly.
  • If you are sick, or you have been in contact with someone who is sick with COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and away from others.

The City reminds residents of Halloween fire safety tips, including using battery-operated candles or glow sticks in jack-o-lanterns and keeping exits and escape routes clear of decorations. It is also a good time to make sure that all smoke alarms in your home are working.

During the holiday season, it is especially important to avoid driving under the influence. Remember that “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” If you take prescription drugs, particularly those with a driving or operating machinery warning on the label, you might be impaired enough to get a DUI. Marijuana can also be impairing, especially in combination with alcohol or other drugs, and can result in a DUI. The City also urges drivers to plan routes in advance and avoid texting or otherwise using a cell phone while driving.

View additional guidance for celebrating Halloween safely. Violations to the Halloween safety guidance should be reported to the Pasadena Citizen Service Center. Complaints can be submitted online at cityofpasadena.net/CSC or by phone at (626) 744-7311.

Stay connected to the City of Pasadena! Visit us online at www.cityofpasadena.net; follow us on Twitter at @PasadenaGov, and Instagram and Facebook at @CityOfPasadena; or call the Citizen Service Center, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at (626) 744-7311.

 

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