No need to cancel Halloween, says Dr. Tam as long as everyone follows the rules

Canada's top public doctorsays there's no need to cancel Halloween this year as long as trick-or-treaters respectthe new realities of the pandemic.

"I think finding that balance of trying to provide some degree of normality, even though it is actually different from any other year, most public health leaders think that that is actually important," Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam told a briefing in Ottawa this morning.

Tam advised parents and kids to maintain physical distancingwhile trick-or-treating outside, to stick topre-packaged treats andto have hand sanitizer readily available.

She also saidthata creative use of"different fabrics" can turn a day-to-day face maskinto part of a costume.

"There's some really interesting ideas where people are handing out treats at the end of a hockey stick or something, using a pool noodle to tell your kids how far they should be standing apart from each other," she said."So there are ways to actually manage this outdoors."

Tam stressed that parents and children should follow guidelines set bylocal health authorities, as some local COVID-19caseloads are far larger than others.

For example, in Ottawawhich moved to red on its COVID alert scaleafter a recent surge in casesthe local public health agency has put forward a series of suggestionsthat includeholdingvirtual costume partiesand limiting trick-or-treating to the people in a household.

WATCH: Dr.Theresa Tam's tips for a pandemic Halloween

Dr Tam says a safe Halloween can happen this year

4 years ago

Duration 1:30

Chief Public Health Officer Dr Theresa Tam offered guidance today to parents on how to have a safe Halloween.

Both Tam and her colleague, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo, said more tips will be posted to the Public Health Agency of Canada's website soon.

Dr.Jennifer Russell, New Brunswick'schief medical officer, told reporters at her daily news conference todaythat no door-to-door trick-or-treating will be permitted in regions of the provincecurrently in the orange phase of recovery.