SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — As the biggest event for candy of the year inches closer, families are planning what their Halloween during another year in the pandemic will look like.
Syracuse Police Sergeant Matthew Malinowski has the following recommendations for those who choose to go trick or treating:
-Wear costumes with bright colors
-Go trick or treating between 5-8pm
-Stay on sidewalks and avoid walking on the street when possible
-Plan ahead for weather to understand your plan for driving
-Have an adult inspect all candy
-Don’t accept any homemade items while trick or treating
In terms of hand sanitizer, the Director of Upstate New York Poison Center, Michele Caliva, said parents should not allow their children to hold the hand sanitizer bottle because they can easily mistake it for food or drink.
“It drops their blood sugar dangerously low,” Caliva said. “So, hand sanitizer just in general shouldn’t be in the hands of small children.”
She said that hand sanitizer is important to use to stay safe in the pandemic and in general, but making sure children do not apply it themselves is key.
Caliva added that the Poison Center sees cases where glow sticks are also ingested by young children around Halloween who mistake them for food.
“It can cause a burning sensation in their mouth,” Caliva said. “We recommend parents just take a warm washcloth, wipe out their mouth [and] give them some water to drink to dilute it.”
She said that while glow sticks are great to ensure passing cars can see children, it is important to keep an eye on them.
With recommendations like these and from the CDC taken into consideration, Syracuse parent Sarah Lee said her family will be taking their children trick or treating in the neighborhood.
“I just want things to go back to normal again,” Lee said. “They’re kids, they love to have fun.”
Last year, the Lee family ordered pizza, bought their children candy and watched movies. This year, Lee said they will try to stay safe while trick or treating.
“I know some of the houses that aren’t trick or treating because of Covid they’ll have signs on the front and that’s okay,” Lee said. “It’s really just allowing the kids to have fun.”
While some are trying their best to get a sense of normalcy while following CDC guidelines, others like grandparent John Vavalo are not yet ready to start handing out candy just yet.
“I just don’t want all those kinds of people coming to my house,” Vavalo said. “I don’t know who they are, and usually it’s just droves [of them]. So lights out [for me] and I’ll sit inside with my Reese’s.”
