Chief Todd J. Fitzgerald and the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department would like to advise residents to always use caution when using ride-sharing apps as a means of transportation. 

“Always make sure to take the necessary safety precautions when using a ride-sharing service, such as confirming your ride and driver before entering the vehicle, and sharing your travel plans with others,” Chief Fitzgerald said. “In light of the pandemic, you should also take steps like wearing a mask or face covering, and washing or sanitizing your hands before and after you use a ride sharing service to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

October is National Crime Prevention Month. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lists ride-sharing services as a viable means of travel or to get home, especially if under the influence of alcohol, but urges all users to review the following measures to ensure the trip is as safe as possible:

• Confirm your ride by checking the license plate: Before getting into a ride-sharing vehicle, make sure the car and license plate match what you booked through the app. Many of these cars can look alike. 

• Confirm your driver: You should also look at the driver and ask them their name to confirm it matches the name and photo in the app.

• Find a safe spot to be picked up: Pickup locations for ride-sharing services aren’t usually centralized. You should pick a location where you can wait inside until the driver arrives. If that’s not possible, choose an area to wait that’s away from the roadway, well lit, and where your driver can safely stop. Request that your driver drop you off in a safe spot as well.

• Always sit in the back: Sitting in the back seat will allow you to more easily exit the vehicle from either side in the event of an emergency or if you feel the need to suddenly leave the vehicle for whatever reason. It also puts more space between you and the driver. 

• Share your trip details: Most ride-sharing apps will allow you to share your trip details with others, including the information of your driver/vehicle and the specifics of the route. You can also set the app to alert others of your arrival at your destination.

• Never give out personal information: In addition to using privacy settings in the app itself, it is recommended that you never give out personal information to your driver. 
• Use your best judgement: You always have the ability to end a ride at any time. Use your judgement if you feel in danger or unsafe for any reason. Always call 911 if you feel you are in an emergency situation.

In addition to the safety measures listed above, the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department reminds all residents to still follow proper health and safety guidelines when using ride-sharing services to limit the spread of COVID-19. This includes wearing a proper face covering, remaining socially distant as much as possible, asking to ride with the windows down, limiting contact with high-touch surfaces such as door handles, and washing your hands as soon as you can after completing your ride.

Chief Todd J. Fitzgerald and the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department would like to share safety tips for trick-or-treating and alternative Halloween activities to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Trick-or-treating will take place in Manchester-by-the-Sea on Saturday, Oct. 31. from 4-6 p.m. Residents are asked to only trick-or-treat in their neighborhoods and are reminded that no streets will be blocked off during that time.

“In order to have a safe and healthy Halloween this year, it’s vital that community members take all the necessary precautions in order to protect themselves, their families and their neighbors,” Chief Fitzgerald said. “We hope the following guidance will prove helpful as you plan out your Halloween activities this year.”

Residents and communities should follow safe and healthy tips to participate in Halloween activities that may limit the risk of exposure to COVID-19. As a reminder, any Halloween activities are subject to the current state gathering size limits.

Should residents partake in trick-or-treating, they are encouraged to make individually wrapped goodie bags that can be placed at the end of a driveway or the edge of their yard for families to take. Those who do not wish to participate in trick-or-treating are asked to shut off their outdoors lights as an indicator.

Residents are also asked to take the following precautions from the Department of Public Health (DPH) if they choose to trick-or-treat this year:

• Wear a face mask or face covering. For more information on face masks and face coverings, please see the state’s Mask Up MA webpage.
• Observe good hand hygiene, including hand washing and use of alcohol-based sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol. Carry hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces and before eating candy.
• Refrain from touching your face.
• Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet of physical distance from all other participants who are not members of the same household.

Additionally, the Manchester-by-the-Sea Department would like to share the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists of several low and moderate risk alternative activities that community members can take part in for Halloween.

Lower risk alternatives include:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them, or at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
• Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house

Community members may participate in moderate-risk activities, as long as they take the proper safety precautions. These include:

• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
• Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
  • Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
• Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.

Residents are asked to avoid higher risk activities this Halloween in order to prevent the spread of the virus. These activities include:

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door-to-door
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19