Trick-or-Treating Banned in LA County This Halloween

In Chesapeake, Virginia, trick or treating is all about Halloween fun: candy, costumes, and -- if you're over 14 -- a spine-chilling possible $250 fine.

Just as us adults continue to struggle with the lack of music festivals and events in general, kids in LA County are also having their fun stripped away from them. Thank you once again, Covid-19. In the latest announcement by the county’s health officials, trick-or-treating will be banned this Halloween.

According to the guidance posted on the website:

Since some of the traditional ways in which this holiday is celebrated do not allow you to minimize contact with non-household members, it is important to plan early and identify safer alternatives.

The guidance further suggests that “door-to-door trick-or-treating or “trunk-to-trunk”events, in which children collect candy from the trunks of parked cars; parties or gatherings with people outside residents’ own households; and carnivals, festivals, live entertainment and ‘haunted house attractions'” are all banned.

So what is allowed? It’s sadly not a very long list, but online parties or contests are allowed, alongside drive-thru events involving the distribution of “treat bags”. However, this is strictly limited to “commercially packaged non-perishable treats”. Finally, drive-in movie nights are also acceptable, alongside Halloween-themed meals at outdoor restaurants. Of course, social distancing measures will also have to be in place.