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Trick-or-treat in small groups, bring back Halloween candy chutes this year: Dr. Henry

Many kids out trick-or-treating will be too young to be vaccinated
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FILE – Alessandro Priolo slides a bag of candy to a young boy at his house on Halloween in Montreal, Saturday, October 31, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

The province’s top doctor is asking parents, trick-or-treaters and those handing out candy to get creative this Halloween.

This will be B.C.’s second Halloween amid a pandemic; last year saw creative candy chutes, slides and tongs being used to hand candy to children standing further away than usual.

This year, Dr. Bonnie Henry wants to see more of the same.

“A lot of the creative things we saw last year are good… things for us to consider this year,” Henry said at a Tuesday (Oct. 12) press conference, noting that the more easily transmissible Delta variant has made it more difficult to gather safely, even with vaccines.

“And we still do not have vaccines for young children, particularly that young age group that enjoys going out and trick-or-treating.”

Children ages five to 11 could be eligible for COVID vaccines as early as November, but that won’t be in time for Halloween.

“Keep it outside, keep groups small, do some of those really fun things that worked last year.”

READ MORE: B.C. CDC releases Thanksgiving, Halloween tips for COVID-safe fall celebrations


@katslepian

katya.slepian@bpdigital.ca

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