White House Pushes Ahead with Halloween Events Despite CDC's Call for Restraint

Announcement of Halloween Event on the 25th Within the Premises
Private Sector Events Canceled One After Another

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The White House in the United States has sparked controversy by deciding to hold the Halloween event as usual despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year's White House Halloween event. (Photo by AP Yonhap News)

The White House First Lady's Office announced on the 23rd (local time) that the Halloween event will be held in the White House garden from 3:30 PM on the 25th.

The event invited medical staff who led the COVID-19 response, students and parents from military families, and the White House stated that all attendees must wear masks and maintain social distancing. Due to the limited number of attendees, the event duration was extended.

The statement said, "Measures will be implemented to ensure the health and safety of all attendees who wish to participate in this year's spooky festival," but the presidential couple plans to distribute candy and chocolates to children similarly to previous years.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently expressed concerns that "traditional Halloween events pose a high risk of spreading COVID-19." The CDC also advised against wearing costume masks for Halloween celebrations. The city of Los Angeles even banned trick-or-treating, where children visit neighbors to get candy.

The White House's Halloween event was decided amid widespread cancellations of private sector events due to concerns over COVID-19 infections.

The accommodation sharing company Airbnb announced that it will suspend room rentals in the U.S. and Canada on the 30th and 31st to prevent renting rooms for parties for just one day.

The New York Halloween Parade, a representative global Halloween event, will not be held this year. The organizers explained the cancellation by saying they love New Yorkers and their vast creativity but cannot put participants at risk.

Most celebrations during the year-end festival season, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, which are scheduled consecutively after Halloween, are also expected to disappear. A day earlier, the department store chain Macy's canceled its annual Santa Claus event at its 34th Street store in Manhattan, New York, for the first time in 160 years. Macy's also decided to pre-record and broadcast the Thanksgiving Day parade.

The political media outlet The Hill commented, "The COVID-19 pandemic could not chase away the White House's Halloween plans."