Will kids be able to trick-or-treat this Halloween, and is it safe to do so?
There will be no tricks nor treats this Halloween in Leicester, Massachusetts.
The town is among those that have canceled trick-or-treating due to the coronavirus pandemic. Worcester and Springfield have also called off the annual door-to-door activity.
"It's disappointing, but I mean, this is COVID, so I expected it this year," said Gabrielle Johnson-Martin, a Leicester mom.
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"I think it's very disappointing, the children have nothing to look forward to," said another resident, Nicole Simulynas. "It's sad."
CDC guidelines say traditional trick-or-treating is a "higher-risk" activity, along with going to an indoor haunted house, where people may be crowded together and screaming.
But for other communities, Halloween is still very much a go, including Holden, which issued guidance.
The town says to stay socially distanced, and to use "one-way trick-or-treating" by putting a table out with a bowl of candy and waving to the kids behind the door.
"We usually just go around our street, small street, great neighbors, so I'm sure we'll just stick to that, stay outside," said Holden parent Kim White.
Gov. Charlie Baker says it's up to the communities to decide what they'll do, but he's urging kids to go in small groups and wear masks.
"The reason we're not canceling Halloween because that would turn into thousands of indoor Halloween parties, which would have been a heck of a lot worse for public safety," Baker said Tuesday.
The CDC says lower-risk activities include carving or decorating pumpkins outside, or having a virtual Halloween contest.
Moderate-risk activities include having a small group outdoors with an open-air costume parade, and costume parties outdoors where masks are used.
