(Photo: Shutterstock via CNN)
Wondering how to trick-or-treat safely this Halloween in the midst of a pandemic?
Confectioner Hershey, which admittedly has a vested interest in selling candy, has you covered with a new website mapping out recommendations for a safe Halloween in every county in the US.
On the website, located here, users can hover over their county, which is color-coded by risk level. A box pops up with information specific to that county. For example, hovering over Salt Lake County, Utah, reveals the area is “orange” in terms of COVID-19 cases on Hershey’s list. Scrolling further down, the site offers recommendations for how to trick-or-treat safely based on your county’s color code.
In this screen shot of Hershey’s map, you can see Salt Lake County’s details highlighted. Photo: KSL NewsRadio
For people who live in counties Hershey considers “green,” Hershey recommends traditional trick-or-treating, neighborhood costume parties, and even parties.
In the “yellow” zone, Hershey advises only visiting neighbors who observe safe trick-or-treating practices, or having neighbors “Yeet the Treats” from six feet away. (Really. The site says ‘yeet.’) Other suggestions include pet costume parades or socially distant mask-decorating parties.
In the “orange” zone, which includes Salt Lake County, the site recommends reverse trick-or-treating: have neighbors walk by and deposit candy in your front yard as the costumed kids watch from the porch. Another option is a neighborhood candy hunt where adults hide treats for kids to seek.
Finally, Hershey advises residents of “red” zone counties to forego all forms of traditional trick-or-treating, but not the fun. The site suggests looking to alternatives, such as a scary movie night at home with family, hosting a party on Zoom, or setting up candy stations inside your home for the kids in your family to trick-or-treat safely indoors.
This screen shot of Hershey’s website shows the county color codes for Utah. While most of the state is considered “yellow” by Hershey’s guidelines, a few counties are green and a few are orange. Just two, Utah County and Washington County, are in the “red” zone. Photo: KSL NewsRadio
For more details, see Hershey’s Halloween 2020 guide here.
According to CNN Business, Halloween usually makes up about 10% of Hershey’s annual sales. As a result, the company said it’s producing more family-sized packs than in typical years, anticipating more families will observe the festivities either at home or within close-knit circles of friends and family.
Hershey stock is faring better than expected, analysts say, though its stock is down about 1% on the year to date. As of Tuesday, Hershey stock was trading at $145 per share.
