Kentucky officials said Halloween this year should be focused on the kids, with the state asking adults to make sure trick-or-treating, community events and other celebrations are held only in small groups and with other safety measures.
A one-page Halloween safety guide available online includes recommendations such as placing individually-wrapped candy outside for trick-or-treaters to pick up, wearing non-costume masks and using hand sanitizer often.
State officials are asking families to avoid trick-or-treating in large groups, trunk or treat events in parking lots, indoor parties, haunted houses, hayrides and other communal events they designated as "high-risk activities."
Gov. Andy Beshear said he hopes every city and community in Kentucky will make efforts to celebrate Halloween safely this year.
"I hope" they will look at the type of public events that can spread versus the ones that are a little bit safer and say, let's change, just for this year, our tradition from a trunk or treat to a Halloween parade," he said.
Officials announced this guidance as they reported another day with a high number of new coronavirus cases.
Beshear said another 17 Kentuckians have died related to COVID-19, the fifth-highest daily death count so far.
Kentucky’s COVID-19 death toll is now 1,191. Beshear said he expects to reach 1,200 deaths by the end of the week.
He also announced 910 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total since March to 69,728. Already this week, Beshear announced two days with more than 1,000 cases apiece. He said the state-calculated positivity rate is up to 4.11%.
He continued to encourage people to wear masks and take other protective measures to limit the spread of the virus.
