COVID TASKFORCE UPDATE

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Time to get a flu shot!

Getting your annual flu shot is always important, but this year is especially critical. Flu shots are now available at:

  • St. Luke’s McCall
  • Cascade Medical Center
  • Albertson’s Pharmacy
  • Rite Aid Pharmacy

halloween tips to keep your family healthy

It’s a full moon and a Saturday! Yay! And it’s in a pandemic! Boo! But don’t let that scare off your Halloween fun completely. There are ways to celebrate while still preventing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting your family.

the basics
  •  Remember the 3 W’s: wash your hands, wear your mask, watch your distance.
  •  Stick to small groups, preferably just family. Ask kids to stay as far away from people outside your household and to wear their mask inside and outside.
  •  Do not use a costume mask as a substitute for a protective cloth mask unless it’s made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
  •  Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask. This can be dangerous, making it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
  •  If sick or exposed to the virus, stay home, isolate and do not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.
  •  Any gathering should follow CDC guidelines and be appropriate for the level of spread in the community.
Lower Risk Activities
  • Carving or decorating pumpkins indoors with members of your household or outdoors, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends. Display for all to enjoy!
  • Decorating your house, apartment or living space.
  • Having a scavenger hunt in and around your house or throughout neighborhood while distancing.
  • Having a virtual costume contest or party.
  • Enjoying a movie night with people you live with.
  • Learning about other cultures’ celebrations, such as Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).
  • Making a pinata and filling it with candy for your kids to swing at (maybe they’ll let you swing, too!).
  • Making and decorating spooky treats/sweets.
Moderate Risk Activities
  • Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or edge of a yard).
  • Going to an outdoor costume parade or party – small group.
  • Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest or an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends. If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised.
  • Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards.
High Risk Activities - AVOID!

Avoid these activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:

  • Traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door.
  • Trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in parking lots.
  • Crowded costume parties held indoors.
  • Indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming.
  • Hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
  • Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors.
  • Traveling to a fall festival outside your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19.
Make Trick-or-Treating Safer
  • Establish ground rules ahead of time.
  • Don’t let kids dig around a candy bowl, touching multiple pieces. Ask them to choose one and stick with it.
  • Don’t share or pass around props, toys, costumes or candy bowls. Ask each child to hold onto their own candy bag.
  • Bring hand sanitizer and practice not touching your face.
  • Take a break, do a check-in, and give kids hand sanitizer between multiple homes. This is an opportunity to remove masks with clean hands, in a safe spot away from others.
  • Put bowl out on sidewalk or end of porch or make individual goodie bags for trick-or-treaters to take. Stay on porch to see trick-or-treaters.
  • At the end of the night, disinfect any doorknobs, doorbells, buzzers or other high-touch surfaces outside your home.
  • Put most of the candy away for the first three days that it’s in your home. Maybe buy some candy ahead of time while you allow time to pass.

VALLEY COUNTY BY THE NUMBERS

TOTAL CASE COUNT

111 CONFIRMED + PROBABLE CASES  |  1 COVID-19 DEATH

CENTRAL DISTRICT HEALTH

Confirmed and Probably Cases

(Select “Valley County” on the top tab to view local data)

ST. LUKE’S MCCALL

COVID-19 Testing Data

CASCADE MEDICAL CENTER

COVID-19 Testing Data