COVID Scares Off Broome County’s Trunk-or-Treat

The pandemic that has put part of Broome County in a Yellow cluster zone is pulling the plug on some of the plans for safe trick-or-treats in the region.

The Trunk-or-Treat at Otsiningo Park and the Greater Binghamton Airport that were planned for Halloween have been canceled.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar says, however, he is not putting any restrictions on neighborhood trick-or-treat activities but urges people to follow the guidelines put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York State.

Individual municipalities may opt to regulate Halloween activities, however.  In Chemung County, for example, officials in Elmira have canceled door-to-door trick-or-treating.

The CDC says high-risk door-to-door traditional treat gathering with candy handed out personally should be avoided and replaced by a little lower risk leaving pre-portioned candy bags for children to pick up themselves or even lower risk costume parades.

Anyone participating should wear facial coverings to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, not a traditional costume mask, sanitize hands and those preparing treat bags should wash their hand at least 20 seconds before and after preparing bags.