Dutchess County Executive, Marc Molinaro, says that trick-or-treating should not be stopped this Halloween.

Due to the global pandemic, the CDC released guidelines this week, discouraging children from a variety of Halloween activities. Among them, the government agency listed traditional trick-or-treating along with hayrides and trunk-or-treating, where children collect candy out of the trunks of cars in a parking lot.

Just this week, the Town of Poughkeepsie announced that they will be holding a trunk-or-treat event at Greenvale Park on October 24. During a call-in with The Boris and Robyn Show on 101.5 WPDH, Dutchess County Executive, Marc Molinaro, addressed Halloween activities in the county and said that his children will be trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

Molinaro stressed that what the CDC has proposed are simply guidelines. It's up to individuals to act responsibly. The Dutchess County Executive argues that if children can participate in sports and other activities, there is no reason to tell them they can't responsibly go trick-or-treating. Molinaro made it clear that he's not encouraging groups of children to congregate or to pile into vans and invade small villages. Instead, he says that small pods of families should be able to socially distance and be able to collect candy from homes on Halloween night.

Wearing a Halloween mask, Molinaro says, is not a replacement for a medical mask. He also suggested that it's a bad idea to have a child wear a medical mask underneath their costume, so it's important to practice proper social distancing. Residents who are uncomfortable handing candy to children always have the option to leave candy outside and wave from behind a closed door, or just turn out their lights and not participate this year.

Governor Cuomo has also indicated in the past that he would not be banning trick-or-treating this year. Like Molinaro, the governor says that he will offer guidance, but leave the decision up to parents.

Will you be handing out Halloween candy this year? We want to know what you think. You can share your comments below or on our Facebook page.

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