Waterloo asks residents not to go trick-or-treat during COVID-19
WATERLOO — Mayor Quentin Hart is asking residents to abstain from traditional trick-or-treating this Halloween, citing COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The city instead recommends residents celebrate the holiday “creatively” by engaging in other activities from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31, according to a news release.
The release recommended any of the following activities: hanging treat bags from streamers outside for kids; having Halloween movie nights inside; dropping off gift bags at neighbor’s porches; hosting trunk-or-treats on streets with cars parked in driveways for distance; having contact-free neighborhood scavenger hunts; or hosting virtual Halloween watch parties for best costume and craft project contests.
The CDC advised against door-to-door trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treat events with cars lined up in large parking lots, crowded indoor costume parties, indoor haunted houses, hayrides and tractor rides.
Cedar Falls recently announced its trick-or-treat hours from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31, recommending individually wrapped “grab and go” items at locations that allow for social distancing, such as the ends of driveways. The city advised people to distance from others and use hand sanitizer often.