Cranberry To Celebrate Halloween Despite Pandemic

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Cranberry Township will keep tradition and celebrate Halloween despite the coronavirus outbreak. Trick-or-treat houses will be from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 31.

The township is leaving it up to residents to decide whether or not to participate.

There will be added police, fire and EMS personnel on duty to ensure a safe night for residents.

Township officials offered these tips for the evening:

• Do not leave candy in a bowl for kids to take. It’s best to designate one person to hand out candy, instead of having many children reach into a candy bowl.
• Designate an outdoor spot to pass out treats. It’s recommended to position oneself outside to pass out treats, instead of having children ring doorbells and wait for the door to be opened.
• Treats should be individually wrapped. To avoid any cross-contamination, please consider all individually wrapped treats.
• Face masks should be worn. It’s recommended that kids wear face masks while collecting Halloween treats.
• Gloves should not be worn. Gloves are not recommended, as they would need to be changed regularly. Parents should have hand sanitizer readily available for children during treat gathering.
• It is not recommended to sanitize packaging and groceries. The transmission of the coronavirus on these types of surfaces is low.
• Anxious parents should not participate. It’s best to buy your own Halloween treats and give to your kids – instead of being anxious about participation.
• Items to bring during treat gathering. Bring hand sanitizer and require kids to wear masks. Also, don’t forget flashlights, glow sticks, or any reflective material on clothing. Bring water to hydrate children during the walk.