Covid 19 coronavirus: Experts give Halloween the trick-or-treat of approval

People should get out and enjoy Halloween if they want to, a Covid-19 expert says. Photo / Dean Purcell

Halloween has been given the all-clear by Covid-19 experts, however, trick-or-treaters are being urged to wash their hands often and keep a record of where they go.

However, Santa will be behind a mask, with a perspex screen and children will sit beside him instead of on his knee at Smith & Caughey's Enchanted Forest.

Professor David Hayman, of Massey University, said it might pay to let children know ahead of Halloween if they're unwell they won't be able to participate.

He says parents should keep track of which houses children visit for trick-or-treating and to wash their hands regularly.

"If you think about kids going to 10 different houses and sticking their hands in bowls of lollies, you can see that's not a great idea."

People should get out and enjoy Halloween if they want to, a Covid-19 expert says. Photo / Dean Purcell

Mt Eden resident Liz McCarthy-Edwards is elated Halloween can go ahead.

It's her favourite time of the year and she told the Herald she will be spending the entire weekend getting her home ready for October 31.

"I'm just ecstatic, I really am. It's my favourite time of the year, I'm absolutely elated," she said.

"On our street, Burnley Tce in Mt Eden, we have hundreds of kids and they're like locusts. It creates a wonderful community vibe on our street."

The Ministry of Health has no issues with Halloween this year either, however, director of public health Dr Caroline McElnay would like people to take a precautionary approach towards celebrations.

If people are unwell, have been advised to self-isolate, are awaiting a test result, or are a close contact of a confirmed case, they should stay home.

People who are unable to participate should put a sign out saying "no trick-or-treating", and should not leave lollies out either.

"Additionally, if people are not comfortable with people coming on to their property, they should also put a sign out," McElnay said.

University of Otago epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said he sees nothing wrong with people celebrating Halloween at alert level 1.

"Everybody has been in their bubbles, this is a chance to get out and reconnect with people."

University of Otago Associate Professor Nick Wilson said the risk of celebrating Halloween is "small bixies" compared to the likes of going nightclubbing.

"The things that we're worried about are bigger events where it could stretch the manual contract tracing to the limit," he said.

"That's like stadiums full of thousands of people or nightclubs full of hundreds of people, I think it's small bixies, whatever happens on Halloween."

Professor Michael Baker and Associate Professor Nick Wilson. Photo / Supplied

Last month, Smith & Caughey's managing director Andrew Caughey told the Herald on Sunday no Santa experience would be possible at alert level 3.

A booking service would be run at level 2, with no unbooked queuing service available.

Booked and unbooked options would be available at level 1, Caughey said.

"Regardless of which scenario plays out, we will be limiting the maximum number of people on the floor to 50 people, with generous social distancing."