Students in schools throughout Waterloo Region are being asked not to wear Halloween costumes or bring treats to school next week by the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB).
“Potential disruptions to these routines and safety practices are risks that our school communities cannot afford to take,” the board announced Tuesday.
It says it made the decision based upon the advice of Waterloo Public Health.
“Costumes and shared food, customs often associated with Halloween, are incompatible with the guidance we have provided to our schools and received from Public Health.”
As an alternative, some schools have begun to ask parents to wear orange and black to school on Oct. 30.
The board says “students and staff have enjoyed a remarkable return to school.”
Thus far, there have three outbreaks connected to schools in the area including two involving WRDSB schools.
There have now been 38 COVID-19 cases connected to schools in the region as 35 students and three staff members have tested positive for the virus since Sept. 1.
Of the 38 cases, 31 involved staff or students who attended WRDSB schools.