Staff Editorial: Trick-or-Treating in the Middle of a Pandemic
THE DIVIDE OVER TRICK-OR TREATING: The data recorded from Wolfpack Times reporters show that 84.6% believe that people should not go trick-or-treating due to COVID-19. On the other hand, 15.4% of reporters believe that people should be allowed to participate in this Halloween tradition at their own risk. “This year, and possibly next year, it’s just not safe to have that interaction with people yet,” David Lopez, reporter, said.
October 30, 2020
As a young adolescent, a day that students wait for the most throughout the year is Halloween. Many wait the entire year to put makeup on, choose an ‘original’ costume, and wait patiently until the sun goes down to go trick-or-treating with friends and family. Trick-or-treating doesn’t have the same traditional standings this year.
A comparison many are making is the amount of COVID-19 cases that were confirmed during Labor Day weekend.
According to publichealth.lacounty.gov, during Labor Day weekend there were a total of 16 new deaths and 1,022 new confirmed cases. This occurred because many people who were in big gatherings didn’t take sufficient precautions.
The date of March 19, 2020, was the day the statewide Stay-at-Home order was issued. Since this day, everyone who lives in California has heard repeatedly to wash their hands, wear face masks/coverings, and to maintain social distance. “Just as COVID-19 cases increased on Labor Day weekend, I wouldn’t doubt that they spike after Halloween,” Kate De La Torre, Broadcast Editor, said. As Halloween approaches, various people worry that these precautions are not going to be taken seriously.
Halloween is celebrated amongst families and strangers. As a family, many go to a stranger’s house and ask for either a trick or a treat. Some of these treats may be given by somebody who is infected with COVID-19. The person distributing candy may not even know that they’re contaminated and will slowly but surely infect the people around them.
“Not everyone is getting tested and many don’t show symptoms. With air particles being small, one can’t see them being transmitted,” Wendy Caldera, Social Media Editor, said. As some may be asymptomatic, many students are against going trick-or-treating in the middle of a pandemic because they won’t be aware of who has the virus and will only continue the chain effect of the virus.
“People are growing sick of nothing being the same and it won’t be the same for a while so people should at least be allowed to have the choice to trick-or-treat to have a sense of normalcy,” Gabriel Dominguez, Sports Editor, said. Those trick-or-treaters who decided to go trick-or-treating in the middle of a pandemic know the risks, and are willing to take their chances.
Whether families go trick-or-treating or not, they have to remember to take sufficient precautions and stay safe from the virus.
