Trick-or-treating nixed in Urbanna

by Tom Chillemi – 

Add Trick or Treat to the list of events canceled in Urbanna due to concerns over COVID-19.

On Oct. 8, a split Urbanna Town Council voted to cancel the Halloween tradition. 

Urbanna Mayor Diane Gravatt noted that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends against in-person Halloween festivities and is cautioning against door-to-door trick or treating and activities with physical contact. 

Alternative

Gravatt told council that an alternative to traditional trick or treat is planned by a county-wide group of churches and she referred to an article that was in the Oct. 8 Southside Sentinel. LIFT Children of Middlesex and the Love4Kids Foundation plan to offer drive-through Halloween activities at churches and throughout the county, according to a press release issued by the organizations.

Moderate risk

The Virginia Department of Health classifies trunk or treat activities as moderate risk as long as social distancing and masking can be maintained, said Dr. Richard Williams, director of the Three Rivers Health District. “I think those protective measures are key no matter what we are doing outside our own homes. Trunk or treating can be done, but maintaining protective measures and good hygiene at all times will be imperative.”

Dr. Williams added that any activity that places people in close proximity to each other increases the risk of an exposure significant enough for viral transmission to occur. Wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, limiting the time spent in close proximity to others, and proper hand washing reduces the risk of transmission. “Hand washing becomes more important if articles, like treats, are to be transferred between people,” he said.

Locations

Four sites will be set up for the Halloween event. For families in the Church View/Jamaica area, the location will be Hermitage Baptist Church at 94 Wares Bridge Road, Church View. The Urbanna/Saluda location will be at Antioch Baptist Church located at 159 Oakes Landing Road in Saluda behind to the historic Middlesex County Courthouse. The Cryer Center will cover families in the Locust Hill area located at 7485 General Puller Highway. Zoar Baptist Church will serve for those in the Deltaville area. It is located next to the Deltaville Community Association building at General Puller Highway (Route 33). For information, email LIFT at liftmiddlesex@gmail.com or Love4Kids at love4kidsfoundation@gmail.com.