Haunted Houses and Halloween During COVID-19

Children and adults who love witches, dragons, vampires, and all types of scary monsters will have to be more cautious this year – and maybe a little less frightening. While close encounters by aliens, ghosts, and goblins might normally be endearing, the coronavirus is changing up some of the trick or treat rules.

A recent video from the Tennessean highlights a few precautions haunted houses are taking such as:

• Social distancing rules for the visitors and the monsters.
• Temperature checks at the door.
• Everyone must wear a mask – though scary masks are allowed.
• There will be more distancing between groups. This means your family/friends will walk through the house together – without joining other visitors.

The Town of Mountain City, Tennessee announced that it is not recommending (though not forbidding) traditional door-to-door trick or treating on Halloween. Mountain City is recommending:

• That it’s better to have cloth masks be part of the costume instead of “wearing a regular costume mask over a cloth mask [which] could interfere with breathing.”
• Social distancing of six feet or more (from people you don’t live with).
• That trick-or-treaters should take hand sanitizer with them.
• The people giving out candy should avoid contacting the trick-or-treaters. The peanut butter cups, M&Ms, Snickers bars, and other treats can be left outside and individually bagged.

There will be drive-by trick or treating at a local community center and at other organizations. There will be more police on patrol. Mountain City is recommending that neighborhood activities end by 8:00 pm.

CDC Halloween 2020 recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the Halloween activities they consider low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk. The high-risk activities include:

• Traditional door-to-door trick or treating
• “Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots”
• Crowded indoor costume parties
• Crowded haunted houses
• Hayrides and tractor rides – with people who aren’t in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs
• Attending a rural fall festival “that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19”

COVID-19 is changing the way everyone does business including holding festivities and the ways homeowners interact with their guests. As the pandemic continues, we’re all trying to achieve the right balance between protecting health and enjoying life. We wish everyone good health and good cheer as the holiday seasons continue. To discuss any premises liability claim or any other personal injury claim, please call the experienced trial lawyers at Bailey & Greer, PLLC. You can call our Memphis and Jackson lawyers at 901-475-7434 or use our contact form to schedule a consultation.