Halloween is a magical holiday for many, and as kids and adults venture out for tricks and treats today, it’s important to keep a number of safety issues in mind.

Allison Koonce, LMH Health’s community outreach and engagement supervisor, has offered the following tips.

High visibility

While trick-or-treating, walk on well-lit sidewalks, carry a flashlight just in case, and make sure you are visible to drivers.

“Much like we recommend for runners who run near dark, reflectors on your child’s bag or outfits are key to making sure they are seen by oncoming traffic,” Koonce said. “Of course we want kids and drivers to keep an eye out, look both ways and cross safely, but extra reflection to ensure they are seen is very important.”

Keep to familiar areas

Being familiar with your surroundings can make for a stress-free Halloween. When you are in neighborhoods you know, parents and kids both feel more secure, and staying close to home reduces the need to drive, which helps keep others safe.

“If you like to take your kids to certain neighborhoods, make sure you are careful while out driving,” Koonce said. “We recommend staying as close to home as possible to avoid driving and getting out on the streets, but if you do, be careful of kids and little ones running across the street. Make sure to drive the speed limit and maybe even slower when going through the neighborhoods.”

Safe treats

When handing out (and consuming) goodies, Koonce said, be aware of food allergies and choking hazards, and do not give away nonwrapped, homemade treats.

“Homemade treats are fantastic to bring wrapped to those you know and love, but to the general population, stay with wrapped candy,” she said. “This helps avoid allergic reactions and also keeps us safer in the time of COVID. When selecting candy, if you can swing the larger, full-size bars, the better. I don’t just say that so there are hundreds of happy trick-or-treaters this year, but because from a production standpoint, the larger bars are often made by themselves and not in other machinery where other fun-sized candies are made. This helps avoid accidental allergies.”

For little ones ages 4 and under, it is recommended to remove gum, peanuts, hard candy or toys that could be mistaken for candy.

“Make sure when you set out on your adventures that your family eats a good meal beforehand,” Koonce said. “This can help the kids not be so hungry for candy after and eat in moderation. Typically, two to four small pieces of candy is recommended depending on the sugar content. Suckers are great, as they take longer to eat than the chocolate bars.”

COVID precautions

We still need to be mindful of COVID-19 and how rapidly it can spread, said Jennifer Schrimsher, an infectious disease doctor with LMH Health. Though many folks 12 and older are vaccinated, younger kids are still not eligible for the vaccine. This means that COVID-19, particularly its more contagious Delta variant, could affect many homes if care is not taken.

“At this time, it is still recommended that if you are unvaccinated, you wear a mask when around others who are not from your household,” she said. “When outdoors, the general guidance is that you do not have to wear a mask; however, if you are in close contact with others, it is safer for you to mask up. If you are vaccinated, to maximize protection, it is still advised you wear a mask in indoor public spaces and outdoor public spaces if there are a lot of people around. These areas have a higher risk for transmission of COVID, especially the Delta variant.”

As always, try to remain 6 feet or more away from people who are not in your household. Where possible, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces and wash your hands often, especially if trick-or-treating.

“It is important for kids to remain safe and healthy so they do not further spread infection to other household members or other kids at school,” Schrimsher said. “If trick-or-treating this year, it is imperative to keep a good distance away from other groups, wear a mask when needed and sanitize/wash your hands often. Do not accept homemade treats from strangers and only eat wrapped candy.”

If you or anyone in your household is showing symptoms of COVID-19, visit www.lmh.org and find the nearest testing site it.

“Of course, we want the community to have fun this Halloween,” Schrimsher said. “We can still have fun and be safe, following all guidelines.”

For additional resources, visit LMH’s website at www.lmh.org/covid or the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.