With being halfway through October already, Halloween is right around the corner. Parents and children everywhere are thinking about how to spend the holiday- or how they would be, if not for the circumstances of this year. Many Halloween activities have a high-risk of spreading coronavirus, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These include Halloween parties, hay rides, fall festivals and of course, trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating is a holiday event that most American children love. Children dress up and go door-to-door collecting candy from strangers. It’s a perfect way to spread coronavirus. Most parents are onboard with the decision to cancel trick-or-treating, the possibility that someone in the house handing out candy could have COVID-19 is a major concern. However, some aren’t as happy about the lack of celebration.

Some parents are upset that their children can’t celebrate Halloween. They believe that their children should still be able to enjoy Halloween, even if it means the risk of getting COVID-19. They don’t realize that there are many ways for their children to still enjoy the holiday, even if it means not going trick-or-treating. They can still enjoy virtual Halloween parties or virtual scary movie viewings, and they can still enjoy the yummy candy and dress up.

The problem is people want to celebrate by trick or treating, but this isn’t about how the majority of parents feel. It’s not about how kids feel. It’s about keeping everyone safe. It’s about preventing the spread of COVID-19. If you’re going to go trick-or-treating, you are assisting in the spread of something that can and needs to be contained. We have been living with COVID-19 regulations provided by the CDC for seven months now. If you had actually followed the regulations in the beginning, you could enjoy Halloween. If you had worn a mask, stayed six feet apart and only gone out of the house when necessary then you would be able to enjoy Halloween. Instead, you are disregarding the warning and precautions that have been put into place by the people with the doctorates and degrees. You are disregarding the people qualified to tell you what to do and the people trying to keep the whole populus safe.

Stop resisting the regulations. There is no point to disregard them anymore. If you plan on taking your kids trick or treating, you are the problem. End of discussion.