Here's what the Alabama Department of Public Health says about Halloween and coronavirus

Here's what the Alabama Department of Public Health says about Halloween and coronavirus

On halloween trick-or-treating this year?

>> dr. karen landers: actually, we are referring to the cdc's website for holidays and specifically halloween being the first seasonal holiday that is coming up.

Again, i mentioned earlier, i'm a pediatrician.

And i do know this say holiday that children enjoy very, very much.

We really are looking at this in terms of phases of risk.

I remind people that if you are having your celebration in your home, with your own children, your children might carve pumpkins under the supervision of parents of course, they might wear their costume, might do some trick-or-treating around in the house, if you will, many creative ways that parents have learned to cope with this pandemic or they might have other celebratory activities within their home.

That's really the lowest risk because you're with your group, with your quarantine bubble.

If parents choose not to take that route and wish to do something outside with their children going around a neighborhood, well, certainly i have read of persons having drive-through parades, if you will, where children, families drive from one house to the next and pick up a sack of treats, again, that's still pretty low risk.

Another opportunity is for children to walk through the neighborhood with parental supervision and pick up pre-packaged treats off the porch or a table in front of a person's house.

I mean, that's again low risk.

The risk, what we're really looking at there is children gathering together in groups.

Remember what i said about people congregating and contact.

That's something we have to remember.

The highest risk and i will say as a pediatrician that, you know, i would tell my patients not to do this.

I would tell my patients not to have their children going from door to door trick-or-treating, putting their hands down in a candy bucket or a candy container and pulling out treats and putting those in a sack and then going to the next door.

I mean, i just wouldn't do that.

Again, you know, parents have the right to make the decisions about their own children.

But i think that's risky.

I also think that, you know, a lot of places have the trunk-or-treat.

And that's almost like going ddoor to door.

Let's remember we have more people together.

And going from person to person, the more you congregate together, i think that is a risk.

Just finally, again, i'm sure children probably would not think this way, but they might, but if they have on a mask, that's a mask.

It's really not.

It's certainly a mask for their costume but not a mask for reduction in transmission of covid-19.

So we still recommend the cloth face covering.

Again, i think parents have been under a huge amount of stress during this.

And i certainly understand that.

My children are grown but i do remember the days when my children built up to all of these holidays.

And just couldn't wait for them.

But i think it's extremely important that we as parents develop ways for our children to celebrate but also continue to keep them safe from this virus and reduce their chances of contracting this from other people.

Thank you.

>> dale strong: there's inherent dangers to everything that you do.

I believe that people, parents are the best at gauging this.

I encourage everybody to follow the cdc guidelines.

And i think the good thing to understand is large group gatherings are discouraged.

But again, people have common sense.

And i think that's the best gauge on this issue.

But i do think that the cdc guidelines are clear.

And i do believe that large gatherings are discouraged.