Halloween trick-or-treating is back in Ottawa this year, Etches says

Ottawa's medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches says she expects Halloween to returnthis year with some precautions.

Etches said trick-or-treating can be done safely since it is outdoors, but certain precautions must be taken to protect children who are not yetvaccinated.

She recommends outdoor gatherings only, while keeping them as small as possible, while trick-or-treating one family at a time and wearing a mask.

Last year, Ottawa residents were encouraged to stay at home on Halloween night. One year later,84 per cent of Ottawa residents born in 2009 or earlier are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

"Things are different this year. We have really good protection from the vaccine for more vulnerable populations," she told Robyn Bresnahan, host of CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.

Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, also releasedsafety advice for Halloweenat his weekly news conference Thursday afternoon.

4th wave much better place than 2nd wave

Last October, the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was in Ottawa and Ottawa Public Health reported more than 100 new cases per day. Just two weeks before Halloween 2020, the nation's capital hadthe highestper-capita rate of transmissionin the provinceand a growing number of people in hospital with COVID-19.

The city is currently reporting about 40 new cases per day, a much lower per-capita rate, and a stable number of people in hospital, which has allowed for a return to something that closely resembles a normal Halloween.

Etches acknowledgedfamilies will likely gather, but she encouraged residents to continue to follow public health guidelineseven when outdoors.

She said she encourages thosewith vulnerablefamily membersto consider risk levels and "to find what's best for them."