Halloween safety: Tips to minimize COVID risk while trick-or-treating as younger kids await vaccine

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- Halloween festivities kick off this weekend, but COVID precautions are still top of mind for parents going trick or treating with their kids.

The spookiest holiday came a few days early in Libertyville. Businesses all along the north suburban Main Street offered kids and parents a chance to score some sugar ahead of this Sunday.

"We're good with masks, we're happy with them, we think it's going to save us from general cold and flu this season so yeah we're fine and it's not a big deal," said parent Kate Buckley of her COVID precautions.

Some families are looking forward to next week when young children 5-11 years old will likely be eligible for a coronavirus vaccine.

SEE ALSO | Is it OK to go trick-or-treating during COVID-19 pandemic?

"Try to get vaccinated as much as possible. Be safe be smart in terms of distance and wear a mask as much as you can. That's all we can do," said parent Andrew Mitchell.

Dr. Julie Holland, Vice President of Pediatric Primary Care for the Chicagoland Children's Health Alliance, said group events like Halloween can potentially be an opportunity for COVID spread.

"If you're in a small group of two to three kids, or a small family, and you're outside, and you're distant from other people, you don't necessarily need to be masked," she said.

She said with proper precautions, like adults and children over 12 being vaccinated and masking if you're headed indoors, this Halloween can be a safer one with more vaccines for younger kids right around the corner.

"I think for these kids, it's really going to signal a return to normal for a lot of their pre-COVID lives," she said.

And if you want to avoid Halloween festivities out of safety precautions, some suburbs like Park Ridge and Naperville are printing out signs that either welcome trick or treaters, or politely ask them to move on to the next house.