LA County has walked back its recent ban on door-to-door trick-or-treating this Halloween, now replacing it with “guidance” saying that the popular holiday activity is allowed, but is “not recommended.”
"Door to door trick or treating is not recommended because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors, ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked to prevent disease spread, and because sharing food is risky," the updated guidance reads.
Which is odd, given that trick-or-treating is an outdoor activity commonly performed by people wearing masks, all of which are supposed to keep us from catching the ‘rona in the first place.
The guidance also recommends that children not attend trunk-or-treat events, where children pick candy out of car trunks instead of going door-to-door, and where they are even less likely to come into close contact with another person.
But that doesn’t mean everything s permitted in the Lost Fungeles. The guidance includes a ban on gatherings and parties, carnivals, festivals, and haunted houses, recommending that Halloweeners replace these events with online parties, drive-in theaters, Halloween-themed meals outdoors, Halloween art installations at outdoor museums, home and yard decorations, and drive-by costume contests.
Which, in fairness, is in keeping with the spirit of Halloween. After all, there's nothing more terrifying than a government telling you how to live your life.