West Chicago sets trick-or-treat hours Oct. 31

The Centers for Disease Control has issued COVID-19 related guidance regarding Halloween trick-or-treating.

Since Halloween is not a city-sponsored event, please use your best judgement regarding whether or not to have your children go trick-or-treating door-to-door, which the CDC puts in the "Higher Risk" category. In addition, please follow mask, distancing, and hand sanitizing guidelines. If you do not feel comfortable handing out candy this year, simply turn off your porch lights.

The West Chicago Police Department offers trick-or-treat signs in English or Spanish that posted in your window. They can be downloaded at westchicago.org/police/cdc-halloween-covid-19-guidelines/.

The City of West Chicago recommends the following COVID-19 trick-or-treating guidelines:

• Be respectful of your neighbors' choice on whether to trick-or-treat this year.

• Children may trick-or-treat on Saturday, Oct. 31, between the hours of 3 to 7 p.m.

• Refrain from participating in trick-or-treating if you are feeling unwell, if someone in your house is unwell, if you are awaiting COVID-19 test results, if you have recently returned from travel to a hotspot state, or if you know that you have been exposed to COVID-19.

• Turning on your porch lamps or outdoor lights to show that your home is participating in trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treat participants shall not ring the doorbell of those who choose not to participate.

• Consider using a motion-activated noisemaker to notify you when trick-or-treaters are at the door, such as a motion activated Halloween decoration, rather than having trick-or-treaters ring the doorbell, which may become a high touch-point.

• All participants should wear face coverings over the age of two, including individuals passing out treats.

• Avoid close contact with others by leaving candy on your porch.

• If you would prefer to answer the door to greet children individually, pass out candy instead of inviting children to take a treat from a communal bowl. Ask children to tell you their choice of a treat, rather than taking it themselves.

• Individuals should use hand sanitizer regularly throughout the trick-or-treat hours.

• Do not trick-or-treat in groups with others; trick-or-treat as a household.

• Maintain a safe distance from other trick-or-treating households, and do not approach a house until the previous group has left.

• Consider distributing treats other than candy, which parents can then sanitize before giving to kids: stickers in cellophane packaging, pencils, mini pumpkins, erasers, etc.

• Please refrain from distributing coins, cash, homemade treats, or fresh fruits.