This year’s Halloween is expected to be a lot more enjoyable for many children.
Director of the Centers for Disease Control Dr. Rochelle Walensky said children should be able to safely trick-or-treat outdoors.
“I wouldn’t necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party, but I think that we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups,” Dr. Walensky said on Face the Nation.
The statement is a stark contrast from the CDC’s position in 2020.
Last year, it considered trick-or-treating a “high-risk” activity.
At the time, COVID-19 vaccines were not yet available, and the country was beginning to see an uptick in cases ahead of the winter surge.
Dr. Ryan Light with Greenbriar Family Medicine in Chesapeake says the Holiday can be done safely.
"As we see the Delta variant starting to decrease and see the area of transmission starting to be lower, I think it would be safe to have trick-or-treating closer to normal this year," Dr. Light tells News 3's Leondra Head.
Last year, health officials discouragedgoing full-on with Halloween festivities, citing concerns over social distancing. But this year health experts and officials saying it’s safe for kids.
"Its much safer this year than it was last year with people being vaccinated," Dr. Ryan Light said.
For Cierra Thorton, a parent in Hampton Roads, she says she agrees with the CDC.
"Kids look forward to it once a year so they’re going to go out and keep there six feet distance," Thorton said.
Dr. Light says social distancing is crucial.
"Avoiding large groups or large parties and Halloween parties, those are things to avoid."
Each city in Hampton Roads makes up their own rules for trick-or-treating. We are working to gather what local cities are doing this year for trick-or-treating.
