Coronavirus News

Dallas city and county officials say no to Halloween trick-or-treating

Keep your Halloween activities at home.

Photo by F. Carter Smith

With COVID-19 surging, Dallas city and county officials are emphasizing that people need to skip the usual Halloween routine this year.

Namely, no trick-or-treating.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson co-hosted a press conference on October 28 to strongly discourage the practice.

Jenkins, who dressed in a heavy metal-style costume with long black wig for the occasion, said, "Turn the porch light off, don't give out candy, and parents should find something else fun for their kids to do."

Local officials are not allowed to do an outright ban due to restrictions from Gov. Greg Abbott.

"The governor has taken powers normally allowed to mayors and county judges working with health officials, so we can only do a few things," Jenkins said.

"But I think most families are not interested so much in knowing what is legal but interested in knowing what is safe," he said. "And there's no dispute. President Trump, the CDC, public health officials, and now the mayor and I are here, trying to push home that message. If you want to do what is safe, you will turn the light off and not do trick-or-treating this year."

The holiday comes at a time when Dallas County Health and Human Services has raised the COVID-19 risk level from orange (extreme caution) to red (stay home, stay safe), based on the increased numbers of new coronavirus cases, positive cases as a percentage of all tested, and hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19. They're all up, up, and up.

The CDC and Dallas County, the city of Dallas' contracted health authority, have determined that traditional Halloween activities may be high-risk for spreading COVID-19, particularly during colder weather.

"As it gets cold and people go inside, the incidence increases," Jenkins said.

He also pointed out the fallacy of assuming that kids are less vulnerable.

"Children over the age of 10 will get COVID-19 with the same frequency as adults," he said. "Younger children get it a little less. But we do have instances in Dallas County like the young lady at a high school who lost her life."

Dallas County is discouraging not only door-to-door trick-or-treating, but also "Trunk or Treat" events, to allow physical distance, avoid crowds, and prevent cross-contamination of wrapped candies.

"What you're trying to avoid are dozens of hands going into the same bucket, and enticing kids to get together in groups," he said. "And then encounter other groups, all breathing heavily, and not wearing surgical masks."

They offer this list of safer, alternative ways that pose a lower risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19:

Online parties/Costume contests
Car parades such as Candy Caravan at Dallas Heritage Village
Halloween movie nights
Halloween-themed meals
At-home candy scavenger hunt

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

Unsplash

Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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