The Dulles Farms Community guidance on Halloween is consistent with the information posted by Loudoun County which is noted below for your convenience. Each family within our community should evaluate their own situation to determine what is best regarding partaking in festivities during Halloween. As a reminder we recommend that homes that opt NOT to participate in typical Halloween festivities, please keep their porch lights off as a sign they are not partaking.
Thank you,
Dulles Farms Board of Directors
If you are planning to celebrate this season, consider the following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Virginia Department of Health (VHD) and the Loudoun County Health Department to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. The Health Department does not recommend door-to-door trick-or-treating because that is considered high risk for COVID-19 transmission for both the trick-or-treater and for the person handing out candy. If you and your family engage in any Halloween activities, it is important to protect yourself by following these recommendations:
- Stay home and away from others if you are sick. Anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has not met the criteria for when it is safe to be around others, has COVID-19 symptoms or who has been in recent contact with someone with the disease should not participate in Halloween activities this year.
- Be sure to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others who do not live in your household at all times.
- Wash your hands before going trick-or-treating or handing out candy. Hand sanitizer should be used while trick-or-treating or handing out candy when soap and water aren’t available.
- Wear a cloth face covering. Halloween masks may not fit snugly against the face and may not cover the nose and mouth. Halloween masks with gaps and holes do not protect against inhaling respiratory droplets from other people. Wearing a cloth face covering under a Halloween mask may make it hard to breathe and is not recommended.
- Hand out candy from a distance. Consider setting up an area outside, like a folding table, to set out candy. Space out the placement of treats so that multiple people do not have to reach into the same bowl or find contactless ways to deliver treats, like a candy chute that is more than 6 feet long.
As you and your family prepare for Halloween and fall activities, remember that the following activities are considered higher risk by the CDC and VDH and are not recommended by the Health Department:
- Traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door.
- Trick-or-treating at houses where individuals are not wearing a mask and where 6 feet of physical distance is not maintained between individuals.
- Trunk-or-treating where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots.
- Crowded costume parties held indoors and any events where social distancing is difficult to maintain.
- Indoor haunted houses where people may be crowded together and screaming.
- Hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
- Rural fall festivals outside your community.
- Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors.
- Traveling to and from areas outside your community, particularly to and from areas with community spread of COVID-19, to attend fall festivals and holiday activities.
Each of us has a role in ensuring a safe Halloween this year by taking precautions that limit the spread of COVID-19. We encourage parents and anyone planning to participate in Halloween activities to take the time to view more detailed information online: