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The state of New Mexico has created 13 family-friendly Halloween activities that can be safely enjoyed at home. Find recipes, arts and crafts ideas and other suggestions on how to celebrate Halloween safely at TogetherNM.org.
“This is a year like no other, as we all know,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “We can’t spend time with friends and our neighbors the way we want to. But a holiday is a time to remember that we are all together in this struggle even when we’re physically apart, and I hope New Mexico families can safely enjoy this Halloween by partaking in some of these events.”
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued recommendations and guidelines for high- and lower-risk Halloween activities. Visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/halloween.html.
According to the CDC, higher-risk activities that should be avoided to reduce the risk of virus transmission include: participating in traditional trick-or-treating, where treats are handed to children who go door to door; having trunk-or-treat activities, where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots; attending crowded costume parties held indoors; going to indoor haunted houses, where people may be crowded together and screaming; going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household; using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors; or traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19.
Lower-risk activities include: carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them; carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance with neighbors or friends; decorating your house, apartment, or living space; doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance; having a virtual Halloween costume contest; having a Halloween movie night with people you live with.
The state’s emergency health order and all its operative guidelines and restrictions – including the requirement to wear face masks at all times in public and the restriction on gatherings of more than five individuals – apply to all Halloween events and activities.
