GREENWICH — The Halloween season is right here, with its artistic costumes, sweet treats and spooky decorations.
However the COVID-19 pandemic stays on the minds of medical professionals in addition to involved mother and father throughout Greenwich.
Final yr, the city didn’t discourage children from participating in trick-or-treating or different seasonal actions, as another close by communities did. With the city experiencing excessive charges of vaccination together with comparatively low numbers of COVID-19 circumstances this fall, First Selectman Fred Camillo is once more encouraging residents to securely participate within the autumn vacation.
“We did it final yr throughout totally different circumstances, and issues are a lot better now,” Camillo stated. “We’re nonetheless telling individuals to train warning. However actually, plan your Halloween actions with public security initially in your thoughts. Completely, we’re going forward with it.”
Dr. Christopher Davison, medical director for Greenwich Hospital’s Emergency Division, stated with “all issues thought-about” about COVID, it may be a traditional Halloween. He stated he can be completely happy to see children out having fun with the vacation.
However he stated mother and father ought to preserve security in thoughts for his or her kids, particularly those that should not vaccinated.
“These lower than 12 nonetheless can’t be vaccinated, and that’s clearly a inhabitants that likes to trick or deal with,” Davison stated. “Dad and mom ought to have warning with these unvaccinated younger children. Perhaps carry some hand sanitizer round. And if you happen to’re giving out sweet, perhaps have a hand sanitizer dispenser you should utilize. These types of issues could make it as protected as doable.”
Davison stated he would put on a masks when “rubbing shoulders with individuals,” however he stated that could be overkill for people who find themselves absolutely vaccinated and may preserve a protected distance open air. And for group actions which can be held inside, he inspired sporting masks.
“It is a time to be each revolutionary and artistic,” Davison stated.
“In the event you’re leaving a bucket of sweet by the entrance door for all the youngsters to stay their arms in, you could be higher served by establishing totally different stations within the entrance yard — to provide children some area and go away them at arms’ size — as a substitute of getting 50 arms reaching into one bucket in a 90-minute time-frame,” he stated. “Thankfully, most trick-or-treating and different actions are performed open air.”
Halloween occasion
Halloween Happenings was not held final yr because of the pandemic, however the city is placing collectively the favored occasion this yr.
It’s now accepting functions for the occasion on the Bendheim Western Greenwich Civic Heart on Oct. 29. Tickets and reservations are required, with restricted area accessible for the occasion, which will likely be held twice, at 5:45 and seven p.m.
All costumes should embrace a face masks, and all grownup chaperones should put on masks, too. The occasion will supply music and video games, and youngsters will obtain sweet and deal with baggage. For extra info and to use for a ticket, go to the Parks and Recreation part of www.greenwichct.gov.
One other city Halloween custom set to return is the Outdated Greenwich College Halloween Parade for college students. Outdated Greenwich College Principal Jennifer Bencivengo stated the plan is to carry the parade at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 28.
“We’re going to have or not it’s as shut to straightforward as doable,” Bencivengo stated. “We’d step off by grade stage with a little bit bit more room between every homeroom to maintain our children as clustered as doable. However they’re exterior and so they’re masked. Halloween is a pure alternative to put on a masks, and we’re going to work round it.”
The parade will observe the standard route, with the youngsters in costume strolling from the again of the varsity, by the CVS car parking zone, all the way down to West Finish Avenue after which again onto Sound Seashore Avenue to the varsity.
The complete faculty neighborhood — particularly the youngsters — is prepared for the parade this yr, Bencivengo stated.
“The children are past excited,” she stated. “We had been joking with the mother and father that even when it’s snowing that day we’re going to have the parade.”
The college is working “to get again to as near regular as doable,” Bencivengo stated. “Every part that now we have been working towards is ensuring we are able to get again to enterprise as standard on the faculty.”
Outdated Greenwich College additionally revealed the design for its “pumpkin woman” in entrance of the varsity on Tuesday, which kicks off its pumpkin patch season.
Extra Halloween occasions might additionally happen in Greenwich’s public colleges, with an emphasis on security, stated Jonathan Supranowitz, the district’s director of communications.
“Our workers, college students and households are reminded regularly how vital it’s to observe our mitigation methods, corresponding to finishing the COVID-19 each day self guidelines, sporting masks inside and maintaining socially distant,” Supranowitz stated. “We’re glad that lots of our colleges’ traditions are returning. We assessment every occasion earlier than they’re accredited. We’re assured our methods will likely be in place.”
