Vanessa Lemke
Staff Writer
COVID-19 has affected many aspects of our everyday lives for the past seven months. People must wear masks everywhere to protect themselves, school is all online, the activities many people used to participate in such as sports and other activities are unavailable or restricted heavily. So how will COVID-19 affect this holiday season?
Halloween is almost a week away and COVID-19 is still here. Holiday gatherings such as Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day have led to an increased amount of covid-19 cases.
The Oregon Health Authority and governor Kate Brown both recommend not participating in the traditional “Trick or Treat” event of Halloween due to the very high possibility of an increase in cases.
Although if people choose to participate in such activities or dress up for Halloween, it is highly recommended to wear a mask, not a regular face covering Halloween mask because those do not protect you from contracting covid-19. Instead wear one that fits snuggly on your face and covers both your nose and mouth like the ones required to go into stores.
Other activities that people can do include watching a scary or Halloween-themed movie. Good examples of those are, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Scream,” “Friday the 13th,” and, “Ghostbusters”.
As well as carving pumpkins, putting a twist on it by making it a contest between you and family members or friends who have not been exposed to covid-19 or have symptoms of it. Participating in an online costume contest is another great idea.
It’s better to play it safe then sorry, protect yourself and others by participating in Halloween the responsible way. There are plenty of opportunities to participate in this holiday season in the years to come