A Quarantined Halloween
Celebrating Halloween Indoors: Due to the continued spread of COVID-19, Halloween might look different this year. Health officials have advised people to not go trick-or-treating, but if people do they must follow safety guidelines such as wearing a mask. “ Staying indoors is the best way to keep you and those you care about safe, you can still do fun activities for Halloween while being inside your own home,” Ricardo Padilla, a junior, said.
October 29, 2020
Even on Halloween, COVID-19 roams the air in California. State health officials advised the people of Los Angeles to avoid trick-or-treating and stay home for this year’s Halloween. Many worries that not complying with these rules will cause the virus to keep spreading; however, people have different thoughts on the matter.
Should people be celebrating Halloween during a pandemic? Many argue that it’s fine as long as safety guidelines are followed. “I think there is no problem as long as people wear their mask and keep their social distance from others,” Esmeralda Gonzalez, a junior, said. Gonzalez will be trick-or-treating this year while following safety measures, such as limiting contact with as many people as possible.
Children and young adults are the ones who participate the most during this holiday. Many parents don’t know if they should let their children go out. “Parents should encourage their children to stay inside since there is always next year and it is better to stay safe,” Diego Bernal, a sophomore, said. Bernal plans to stay home for Halloween and believes older people don’t want kids knocking on their doors asking for candy without knowing if they are COVID-free.
Halloween is also the time people get together to celebrate and have fun. Socializing in person has been impacted due to the pandemic. “ It sucks because I won’t get to hang out with friends as I usually do every Halloween. They are unable to go out because of the virus,” Rudy Bañuelos, a senior, said. He was looking forward to hanging out with friends and being able to keep that Halloween tradition going.
Additionally, places such as haunted houses will most likely be closed the night of Halloween. However, there have been small activities promoted around cities residents can attend. Although Halloween may not be the same as last year, there are a lot of safe activities people can do.
“I am planning to carve pumpkins with family and probably bake and decorate some Halloween cookies,” Ricardo Padilla, a junior, said. Padilla believes activities like these can still be fun and can prevent more people from spreading the virus on October 31.
