Halloween is an exciting time for Port Macquarie youngsters Oscar, Lilly McKern and Amelia Waller-Shaw as they celebrate sugary candy and spooky costumes.
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However parents and homeowners will be trying to maintain a COVID-safe Halloween by following the latest round of NSW Health advice for this year's celebrations on Saturday, October 31.
NSW Health is asking trick-or-treaters to help stop the spread of coronavirus this Halloween by remembering to keep 1.5 metres apart, practise good hand hygiene, stay home and get tested immediately if unwell and wear a face mask if unable to physically distance.
Costumed kids are encouraged to keep it local by staying in your suburb this year, staying in small household groups such as a supervising adult and children from the same household and no more than 30 people gathering outside in a public place.
NSW Health recommends kids only take treats that are individually wrapped, use a disposable bag to collect your treats and dispose of it appropriately afterwards, not to share treats with others from different households or share costumes or costume face masks and to carry hand sanitiser.
Port Macquarie North Shore resident Jill McKern, who celebrates Halloween each year, said the COVID-safe guidelines were relatively easy to follow and mostly common-sense.
"That all sounds pretty good and we are just lucky to be able to still do it this year," she said.
"We often see nearly 100 kids up and down the street. We're in a small community, everyone knows everyone and we like to have an event to call our own."
Port Macquarie trick-or-treater Lilly McKern said she'd dressed a dark angel last year and batgirl in previous years.
"It's good fun on Halloween because I like playing with my friends, there's lollies and dressing up," she said.
NSW Health also recommends home owners who are planning to hand out treats, to not receive Halloween visitors and get tested immediately if they are unwell or self-isolating.
Make it a front-yard event this year instead of at the front-door, keep your celebrations outdoors and only hand out individually wrapped treats.
Communal lolly bowls are not recommended this year and home owners are encouraged to consider other ways of distributing treats such as hanging them individually on a fence, front gate or driveway.
NSW Health also recommends offering hand sanitiser at your front gate or fence and only having 20 people on a property at one time.
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