JANESVILLE — The City of Janesville will be allowing trick-or-treating this Halloween amid the pandemic.
Trick-or-treating hours will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020.
The city asks participants to follow safety precautions (verbatim):
- Wear a mask. All participants (trick-or-treaters, chaperones, residents handing out candy) should wear a cloth face covering.
- Stay home if you are sick. Do not trick-or-treat if you feel sick or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
- Do not hand out candy if you or anyone in your household is sick. Leave your porch lights off.
- Contact your doctor if you or your child are at greater risk of complications from COVID-19 before participating in Halloween activities.
- Limit groups of trick-or-treaters to household members only.
- Limit number of chaperones for each group.
- Maintain social distance from other groups. Leave at least six feet between your group and the next while walking or visiting residences.
- Visit only the houses with lights on. If lights are out, please move on to the next residence.
- Refrain from having children select their own treats from a bowl or common container – or set up a hand sanitizing station.
- Avoid homemade treats made by strangers. Allow children to eat only factory-wrapped treats.
- Enjoy Halloween parties with immediate family only. Avoid large group gatherings.
In order to avoid close contact with others, residents should consider the following recommendations to safely distribute candy to trick-or-treaters.
- Use tongs or gloves to hand out candy – or try one of these creative tricks:
- Set up a table of treats in your driveway.
- Use PVC pipe to deliver candy from a distance.
- Attach treats to sticks stuck in the ground.
- Hang treats from a wall or fence.
- Give out prepackaged candy only.
- Do not give out candy if anyone in the household is sick or under quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19.
- Do not set up haunted houses for trick-or-treaters in confined spaces.
- Set up a one-way trick-or-treat line with 6-foot spaced markers.
The City encourages residents to avoid the following activities this season:
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
The Janesville Police Department would also like to remind citizens of their annual safety tips to keep you and your goblins safe this Halloween:
- Wear a light-colored costume so you can be seen in the dark.
- Wear strips of reflective tape and carry a flashlight to enhance visibility.
- Make sure your costume won’t trip you or make it hard for you to see.
- Ask your parents or an older family member to escort you as you trick or treat.
- Trick or treat in your own neighborhood on well-lit streets.
- Walk on sidewalks whenever possible. Be extra careful crossing the street at night, and be sure to only cross at street corners and crosswalks.
- Wait until you get home to eat treats. Don’t eat anything that’s not wrapped.
- Notify the Police Department about anything suspicious.
