Health department recommends alternatives for trick-or-treating

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Columbia/Boone County Health Department released guidelines for trick-or-treating this year.

The health department split up halloween activities into low, moderate, and high risk. Some high risk activities include trick-or-treating door to door, haunted houses, or bar crawls. Low risk activities include zoom parties, pumpkin carving contests, or drive-thru tick-or-treating.

A spokeswoman for the health department Ashton Day said she hopes people take advantage of low-risk options this year.

"We put a lot of guidance out earlier in the month suggesting different low-risk activities and we have been doing our best to promote those, especially drive-thru trick-or-treating," she said.

Saturday, Columbia Parks and Recreation held a drive-boo event at Cosmo park for families to safely trick-or-treat this holiday.

The Columbia Police Department, Columbia Fire Department, MU Health EMT's and others volunteered to pass out candy to the community.

Cassie Brandt, a recreation specialist for Columbia Parks and Rec said all volunteers had to be wearing gloves and masks when passing out candy to vehicles.

"We are glad people are getting out into Columbia's parks and getting to enjoy the parks in a way that's different than the normal community events we get to have out here," she said.

Parent Rebecca Luiett brought her kids to the drive-thru event and said she had to explain to her kids how Halloween would be different this year, but still fun for the community.

"I am happy to see everybody come out for the kids and making sure it's as normal as can be and that they still get to come out and have fun on such a cool holiday," she said.

Several families waited in line for over two hours to receive candy.

The health department said as of Saturday night no notices of violation were filed.