LEXINGTON, Ky. — With Halloween on Saturday, one doctor in Kentucky is recommending children wear cloth masks rather than their Halloween masks out to trick or treat this year.


What You Need To Know

  • Doctor recommends cloth masks over Halloween masks

  • Kids can't wear both because it would make breathing difficult

  • There are a lot of choices for masks finding one to match costume shouldn't be hard

  • CDC and Gov. Beshear have issued safety guidelines

 

Dr. Madeline Fisher with CHI Saint Joseph's Health says families need to follow certain guidelines to stay safe this weekend. Some of those guidelines encourage Kentuckians to wear a cloth mask while trick or treating this weekend. 

“Especially with Halloween, we are recommending they still wear a mask. The Halloween masks are not substitutes for regular cloth masks.” Fisher said.

Dr. Fisher says if children were to wear both the Halloween mask and their cloth mask it could become hard to breathe. 

“The material has at least two or three layers and is thicker than the thin kind of masks that are either made or fabric or paper or plastic involved in a Halloween mask and the cloth face masks provide better protection than the Halloween mask,” Fisher said.

With all of the different designs, Dr. Fisher says it shouldn’t be hard to find a cloth mask that will go well with the children’s costumes. 

“The one thing we are recommending is to avoid not putting paint on masks physically since some paint can contain toxins, but instead using different colored masks or things like that is a fun addition to our child's costume,” Fisher said.

The CDC and Gov. Andy Beshear have also put out guidelines to help keep everyone safe during the Halloween weekend. Asking people to participate in virtual Halloween costume contests, having one-way trick or treating with individually wrapped bags of candy for children to grab at the end of the driveways making sure to keep at least six feet apart. 

Dr. Fisher says it is important to follow these guidelines to help decrease the spread of the virus, especially with children during these times.