Halloween trick-or-treating is off limits in this SC town due to COVID-19 precautions
At least one South Carolina town is not allowing trick-or-treating this Halloween “to keep people safe” in light of COVID-19.
The decision was made in a 3-1 vote during Hampton Town Council’s meeting Tuesday, Mayor Jimmy Bilka said. Councilman Robert Brown was the dissenting vote.
As mayor, Bilka does not vote unless there is a tie, but he said he supported the decision.
“I would rather err on the side of safety any time, but especially when it comes to our children and future generations,” he said.
Bilka, who has been mayor of Hampton since spring 2018 and served on council 16 years prior, said he could not remember anything like this ever happening.
The council’s decision is more of a way for town leaders to encourage residents to “use their best judgment,” Bilka said, adding that there was no way to strictly enforce it.
“It is not a law, and we’re not going to hand out fines or tickets, by any means,” he said. “It’s meant to keep people safe.”
Before the vote, a local physician presented the latest COVID-19 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. He did not provide an opinion or advice, Bilka said.
Bilka said there’s been a mixed reaction to the news, especially on Facebook, but “whatever you do, you’re going to get criticized, so you have to try to do what you think is best for the citizens.”
He said he’s heard that other municipalities in the area are planning to discuss Halloween and trick-or-treating at their meetings, and that he’s open to Hampton Town Council discussing it again.
“We have another meeting before Halloween,” he said. “I’ve told council that we can talk about it again and put it on the agenda if council members change their mind. It’s up to them.”
Hampton County has had 695 confirmed COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began and 26 deaths related to the illness, according to DHEC data released Thursday. The ZIP code for the Town of Hampton, 29924, had 149 confirmed COVID-19 cases but an estimated 915 undocumented cases.
Hampton is the largest municipality in Hampton County with more than 2,800 residents.
This story was originally published October 9, 2020 at 1:20 PM.
