NCA & Former CDC Official Respond to CDC Halloween Safety Guidance

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Sep 22, 2020, 11:15 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

STATEMENT: JOHN DOWNS, NCA PRESIDENT & CEO

"The CDC's guidance reinforces that Halloween is happening and provides inspiration for creative and safe approaches to celebrating the holiday throughout the month of October. There's no question that Halloween will look different this year, and innovative approaches endorsed by CDC like outdoor trick-or-treating can bring a little fun to the fall."

STATEMENT: FORMER CDC & FDA OFFICIAL DR. STEPHEN OSTROFF

"Halloween is traditionally an outdoor holiday and the one time of the year when kids want to wear a mask. This is fully consistent with the CDC safety guidelines, and with the appropriate physical distancing, trick-or-treating can safely happen. Whether this means employing a creative "one-way" solution or finding another way to show off costumes, this type of activity can easily take place this October with little risk of COVID-19 transmission."

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND

80% of people believe that they will find creative and safe ways to celebrate the Halloween season this year. This is up from just 63% two months earlier in July. (NCA, Morning Consult)
74% of millennial moms and young parents say that Halloween 2020 is more important than ever. (The Harris Poll
80% of the general public and 90% of millennial moms and young parents say they can't imagine Halloween without chocolate and candy, and that trick-or-treating is irreplaceable. (The Harris Poll)
This reflects an independent survey from Insight to Action that found 70% of moms plan to celebrate the Halloween season with their children this year.
Recently, the Cleveland Clinic issued guidance for how to best support and empower consumers to be safe this Halloween and at the same time still have a bit of fun during the month of October, citing many of the concepts outlined on Halloween Central.
Governors from NY, NJ and OH recently joined a growing wave of approval and support for a safe and creative Halloween 2020 – including public health experts, community leaders, newspaper editorial boards and columnists who say that we can prioritize safety and still have a little fun this fall with Halloween celebrations that last all October long.
As governors and mayors across the country consult their public health departments on how to strike the right balance between safety and time-honored traditions, we are working with top public health experts, nutrition professionals, and the CDC to help them and their constituents take the guesswork out of Halloween. (AlwaysATreat.com/HalloweenSafetyGuidance)