Halloween is approaching in a month and, like all events this year, Trick or Treat will have to be rethought considerably in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across the region, cities, villages and townships are differing in their approach, with some canceling the event and others going ahead and hosting it.

As the poll results below show, opinions are divided on the matter.

This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines for upcoming holidays.

With Trick-or-Treat, they advise that a traditional approach is high risk for spread of the virus.

They encourage safer alternatives, such as carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them, having a virtual Halloween costume contest or a Halloween scavenger hunt, where children are given lists to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring decorations at a distance.

At moderate risk, the CDC says, is one-way trick-or-treating where individually -wrapped bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance.

While there are no set requirements, these are all matters for local areas and individual households to continue to think about as they plan.

It is still possible observe and enjoy upcoming holidays, but please continue to vigilant about the situation and strive to be safe.

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Readers Poll:

We asked our readers the following question:
“With COVID-19 still ongoing, village and cities are weighing whether to host Trick or Treat. Do you think your locality should have the event?”
Here are the results:
Yes — 53 percent
No — 47 percent
This is an informal poll and not a scientific survey.