Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, is recommended against door to door trick or treating on Halloween in regions that are under modified Stage 2 rules.
In other regions, he recommend families do not trick or treat outside their neighbourhoods.
“Given the high transmission of COVID-19 in the modified Stage 2 public health unit regions of Ottawa, Peel, Toronto and York Region, traditional door-to-door trick or treating is not recommended and people should consider alternative ways to celebrate,” he said in an advisory issued by the province Monday morning.
He listed the following alternative activities:
- Encouraging kids to dress up and participate in virtual activities and parties;
- Organizing a Halloween candy hunt with people living in their own household;
- Carving pumpkins;
- Having a movie night or sharing scary stories; and
- Decorating front lawns.
Williams said the high transmission of the virus in Toronto, Ottawa, Peel Region and York Region had prompted his recommendation.
New COVID-19 daily case numbers are low in Niagara and very low in West Niagara. Across the province, they have spiked this fall to more than 700 new cases per day. This morning the province reported 708 new cases.
Peel, York Region, Toronto, and Ottawa are seeing surges in new cases and the government has imposed modified Stage 2 rules in an effort to tamp down growing infections during COVID-19’s second wave.
“The severity of this second wave is in our hands,” said Williams. “Through our collective efforts, we can change the outcome of this new outbreak. That is why it remains critical to continue following these important actions everyday in order to protect your health and stop the spread of COVID-19.