This year celebrating Halloween will be very different from previous years.

As infection rates are rising in our local area it’s important that we all play our part to continue to follow the guidance on staying safe.

Due to the rule of six which, applies both indoors and outdoors, traditional parties, visiting or mixing with other households and trick-or-treat trips door to door sharing sweets, treats and touching lots of different surfaces, all provide an easy way for the virus to spread.

That’s why we are encouraging Torbay residents to think of alternative ways to mark Halloween this year.

Councillor Steve Darling, Leader of the Council, said: “When my family was younger I really enjoyed Halloween, it was a great way of meeting neighbours and I know that lots of families and young people look forward to doing the same.

Teenagers and young adults are being advised to make the most of technology and meet online for virtual parties or horror-themed quizzes instead of meeting in groups. With so much work being done to keep everybody safe, sadly in a pandemic the last thing we need to do is let our guard down and mix with others.

With some creative thinking I am confident that Torbay can show that there is still plenty of fun to be had, without putting the health of you, your families and those you care about at risk”.

Ideas to celebrate safely

• Take part in a neighbourhood pumpkin search – is this happening where you live? The idea is to paint, draw or display a pumpkin or Halloween themed picture in your window and spot as many as you can in your local area
• Organise a virtual fancy dress party – invite friends to a Halloween FaceTime or Zoom party in spooky costumes topped with a Halloween playlist
• Host a Zoom dance party – why not gather everyone and see who can perfect the “Thriller” or “Time Warp” moves
• Have a spooky feast with fun snacks the whole family can help to decorate and prepare
• Carve a pumpkin – be adventurous with your ideas
• Decorate! A little bit of Halloween arts and crafts decorating inside or on your doorstep can go a long way, especially with young children.
• Movie marathon – dig out some truly terrifying classics and enjoy a scary movie marathon
• Telling scary stories – encourage your children to write their own horror story and read it out loud in their spookiest voice. You could even turn off the lights and use a torch to set the scene.

The local guidance on meeting up with other people and how to prevent the spread of Coronavirus stays the same:

• Keep washing your hands regularly
• Wear a face covering in enclosed spaces
• Stay at least 2 metres apart at all times if you possibly can

By following the guidance we can all play our part in helping to control the virus.