Ontario asking students to "skip the party" this Halloween

Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities is reminding students and faculty in the postsecondary sector to celebrate Halloween safely this year.

To have a safe Halloween, Minister Ross Romano suggested students “skip the party and celebrate differently this year.”

“With Halloween weekend upon us, I remind Ontario’s postsecondary students and faculty to follow public health advice and measures in order to ensure you are keeping yourself, your friends, and your families safe,” Romano said in a statement. “We understand that students want to socialize and celebrate during Halloween, but we need to do our part this weekend and help reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

His number one priority is the health and safety of the students, faculty, and staff at Ontario’s publicly assisted colleges and universities, he said.

Romano’s recommendations include avoiding gatherings with people outside of your household, staying home if you feel ill or have symptoms — even if they are mild, and washing your hands often and thoroughly or using hand sanitizer, especially when handing out treats. He also asked people to consider using tongs or other similar tools to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters rather than leaving them in a bucket or bowl for children to grab.

In his statement, Romano also issued a reminder to students that violating public health guidelines may result in potentially serious sanctions being imposed by their postsecondary institution, by local public health officials, or by municipal officials.

“There is no sanction more serious than to cause or contribute to the spread of COVID-19 to your friends, family, and loved ones,” Romano said. “Our students are all adults and I know they will act responsibly. Together, we will all do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that Ontarians remain safe and healthy.”

The City of Toronto and the province both issued their own safe Halloween lists earlier this week.