This Card Can Help You Decide Whether to Cheat or a Treat.
It might seem counterintuitive to trust a company like Hershey for advice on whether it’s safe to cheat this year. After all, they do have some serious skin in this game, accounting for 10 percent of their annual sales . But the famous confectionery company has launched a website that might be useful for parents trying to decide whether to send their kids door-to-door this year or how to safely celebrate the holiday in other ways.
The main tool built into the new site is a map compiled by policy and public health experts convened by the Harvard Institute for Global Health and the Edmond J. Safra Ethics Center, and not by Hershey itself. The map allows users to search for case counts and risk levels for each state and county using seven-day moving averages of daily new confirmed cases and daily cases per 100,000 people. Based on these numbers, the county’s risk is indicated in green, yellow, orange, or red.
Hershey (and the Halloween and Costume Association) then offers suggestions for how families can celebrate based on the “color” of the county they live in. Here are some examples of their ideas .
Green (less than 1 case per 100,000 people)
- A gimmick or treat (subject to official instructions and safety precautions).
- A trunk or treat to minimize closure of front aisles or porches.
- A fancy dress party in a socially remote area in a place where families can go their separate ways, for example, in a cul-de-sac.
Yellow (1-9 cases per 100,000 people)
- A gimmick or treat (subject to reservations, including adhering to safety rules and only going home safely).
- Yeet the Treats – like a parade where people on boats throw candy to the audience, but vice versa; children walk (from a distance) down the sidewalk and homeowners wait for candy from six feet away.
- Fairy Forest: “Make your way through a nearby forest or park and illuminate it with glow sticks, lanterns and more. Decorate the trail with Halloween decorations, props, candy and surprises. Trees can be tied with ribbons to maintain social distance rules. ”
Orange (10-24 boxes per 100,000)
- Drive-by trick or treat; dress up, drive past friends and family houses, honking and / or delivering treats in a socially distant manner (for example, dropping them in a mailbox).
- Costume Week – Have the whole family dress up different characters all week and / or throw a virtual costume party with friends.
Red (25+ cases per 100,000)
- Zoom parties with games, scary stories and costume competition.
- A family fancy dress dinner where everyone stays in character throughout the meal.
- Smash up a Halloween piñata in your backyard to satisfy their sweet tooth.
Time for warnings! Regardless of what you choose to do as a family, your priority should be to maintain safety, disguise, and social distance. By itself, this map and website should not make decisions for you; you also need to listen to what local leaders have to say about parades, food, and other events.
Finally, what is written on this map today does not indicate what the situation in your area will be on Halloween night. Bookmark it now and come back to it later. As we’ve seen, the number of cases can skyrocket in different areas and at different times, and this fall is more likely to get worse than better. Keep up to date with what’s happening in your area and act accordingly by using this site to help you find safe and fun new ways to celebrate with your kids.